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magazine way Sky Safety Volcanic ash cloud n ESP plus n Just culture n Support to safety regulation n ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme Also in this issue: Skyway reader survey Skyway is a quarterly publication of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, EUROCONTROL No. 53, Spring 2010 EUROCONTROL
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Page 1: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

magazinewaySkySafety

Volcanic ash cloud

n ESP plus

n Just culture

n Support to safety regulation

n ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme

Also in this issue: Skyway reader survey

Skyway is a quarterly publication of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, EUROCONTROL

No. 53, Spring 2010

EUROCONTROL

Page 2: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

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The EUROCONTROL Skyway magazine.

Publisher: David McMillanManaging Editor: Kyla EvansEditor: Lucia Pasquini Linguistic Advisers: Language Service Layout: Frédérique FyonPhotography: Caroline Cochaux, Christian Sampoux,Véronique Paul/GraphixPrinting: EUROCONTROL Logistics and Support Services

magazinewaySkyContents

FOCUSATM safetySafe today, safer tomorrow

ESP PlusEuropean Safety Programme for ATM

ATM safetyThe here and now

Support to safety regulationThe work of the Safety Regulation Unit

Safety oversight capabilitiesEU peer reviews

EVAIRImproving safety data collection Latest news: Volcanic ash central data collection

Just cultureIt takes two to tango

Civil-military partnership for safety

EDITORIALBy David McMillan, Director General

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Number 53 - Spring 2010

© European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) May 2010

This document is published by EUROCONTROL in the interests of exchange of information. It may be copied in whole or in part, providing that EUROCONTROL is acknowledged as a source. The information contained in this document may not be modified without prior written permission from EUROCONTROL.

Articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily reflect EUROCONTROL’s official policy.

For more information and to receive a free copy of Skyway, please contact the editor, Lucia PasquiniE-mail: [email protected]: +32 2 729 34 20Fax: +32 2 729 91 98

EUROCONTROL96, rue de la Fusée, 1130 Brussels, Belgium

EUROCONTROL Website: http://www.eurocontrol.int

Page 3: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

REVIEWVolcanic ash cloudEUROCONTROL’s response

EUROCONTROL supports ATM training

VIEWPOINTDaniel Calleja,Director Air Transport, DG MOVE, on safety and human factors

EUROCONTROL’s support to ICAO and the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme

INDEPENDENT PLATFORMDeveloping a safety culture

VISITS & CALENDAREUROCONTROL welcomes visitors, both individual and in organised groups, to its premises.

Forthcoming events at EUROCONTROL Brussels HeadquartersINTERVIEW

5 questions to William R. VossPresident and CEO, Flight Safety Foundation

DATELINES9-11 March 2010, AmsterdamEUROCONTROL at ATC Global 2010

Flight Plan and ATFCM Adherence Campaign for the safe and optimum flow of air trafficFlight Level Adherence Days

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3Skyway 53 Spring 2010

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Page 4: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

1960-2010Did you know that this year EUROCONTROL is celebrating its 50th anniversary?

It was on 13 December 1960 that the Organisation’s original Convention was signed.

To mark this occasion, a special anniversary yearbook “EUROCONTROL at 50: Reaching for the Single European Sky” has been produced.

The yearbook is available on our website homepage at www.eurocontrol.int

Page 5: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

5Skyway 53 Spring 2010

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking at this from the perspective of air traffic management and support to regulation, providing you with the latest information on our programmes and initiatives, as well as giving the floor to the European Commission Directorate responsible for Transport, and the Flight Safety Foundation.

And I cannot but mention the recent crisis caused by the eruption of the Eyiafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, when European Member States decided to close their airspace in order to ensure the safety of all passengers, as a result of the ash cloud covering large parts of our continent.

The impact of this on European aviation has been unprecedented and has had repercussions around the world. Over 100,000 flights were cancelled across Europe, costing the airline industry over one billion euros, and millions of passengers were affected.

In the face of the ash-plume crisis a coordinated response was developed, agreed and put in place as it became immediately clear that European regulators needed a new approach to a problem that was shutting down the skies over Europe.

EUROCONTROL’s expertise was instrumental in working with all parties concerned to safely get traffic moving again and help make sure that all the technical insights into the ash plume were shared. In close coordina-tion with the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, we hosted a telecon-ference with experts, Member States and air navigation service providers. This meeting was in prepara-tion for the emergency EU Transport Council which took place on 19 April and approved the implementation of a revised approach to air traffic affected by the volcanic ash cloud.

The operational impact of the eruption has passed for now, but much follow-up work remains and we are already looking forward and seeing how the aviation community can learn from this experience.

In many ways, the crisis has highlighted why the approach set out in the Single European Sky II legislation is so important. We need a coordinated response to situations such as this – not only at political level but also at technical level. We need a strong, central, network management capability that can both respond to such situations and plan for future problems.

The momentum is there and this opportunity should be seized to move forward with the implementation of the Single European Sky.

David McMillan,Director General

Chers lecteurs,

Le thème phare de ce nouveau numéro de Skyway est la sécurité, priorité numéro un dans le domaine de l’aviation. Nous l’aborderons sous les angles de la gestion du trafic aérien et de l’appui à la régle-mentation, en vous présentant les informations les plus récentes sur nos programmes et nos initiatives et en laissant la parole à la Direction Transports de la Commission européenne ainsi qu’à la Flight Safety Foundation.

Je ne saurais bien entendu omettre de mentionner la récente crise engendrée par l’éruption du volcan Eyjafjallajökull en Islande, qui a conduit les États membres européens à fermer leur espace aérien afin de garantir la sécurité des passagers contre les risques que faisait peser le nuage de cendres au-dessus d’une grande partie du continent.

Ce phénomène a eu un impact sans précédent sur le transport aérien européen et des répercussions à l’échelle planétaire. Plus de 100.000 vols ont dû être annulés dans toute l’Europe, causant une perte de plus

d’un milliard d’euros pour les compagnies et des désagré-ments pour des millions de passagers.

Face à cette crise, une réponse coordonnée a été définie, arrêtée et mise en œuvre, dès lors qu’il est apparu clairement que les instances de réglementation en Europe requéraient une approche nouvelle pour gérer ce problème qui provo-quait la fermeture du ciel européen.

Grâce à son expertise, EUROCONTROL a été en mesure d’intervenir de manière déterminante avec toutes les parties concernées pour assurer la reprise du trafic dans les meilleures conditions de sécurité et veiller à ce que toutes les données techniques en rapport avec le nuage de cendres soient partagées. En étroite coordination avec la Commission européenne et la présidence espagnole de l’Union européenne, nous avons organisé une téléconférence réunissant experts, États membres et prestataires de services de navigation aérienne, ceci en préparation de la réunion d’urgence du

Conseil Transports de l’UE qui s’est tenue le 19 avril et qui a débouché sur l’approbation de la mise en œuvre d’une approche révisée du trafic aérien touché par le nuage de cendres volcaniques.

L’impact opérationnel de l’éruption s’est à présent atténué, mais un important travail de suivi s’impose et nous avons déjà entrepris d’examiner comment la communauté aéronautique peut tirer les enseignements de cette expérience.

À bien des égards, la crise a mis en lumière toute la pertinence de l’approche définie dans le deuxième paquet législatif du Ciel unique européen. Nous avons besoin d’une réponse coordonnée face à des situations de ce genre – non seulement au niveau politique mais aussi sur le plan technique. Nous devons disposer d’une capacité de gestion du réseau à la fois robuste et centralisée, qui nous permette de faire face à de tels événements et de dresser des plans de réaction pour l’avenir.

La dynamique est lancée et il conviendrait d’en tirer parti pour progresser dans la mise en place du Ciel unique européen.

David McMillan,Directeur général

Page 6: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

ATM SAFETYSafe today, safer tomorrow

Safety is EUROCONTROL’s number one priority. The challenge facing us now as we enter the second decade of the 21st century is how to be ‘safe today, safer tomorrow’ in the face of unprecedented change in the industry and, notwithstand-ing the current demise, against the background of ever-rising air traffic.

Tony Licu, Head of Safety and Human Factor Activity Manager, and Juan Vazquez, Head of the Safety Regulation Unit, set the scene for air traffic manage-ment (ATM) safety today, and shed light on some of the essen-tial safety matters (covered in greater depth in later sections of the magazine) which will need to be tackled in order to make

ATM even safer tomorrow.

6

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 7

FOCUS

PROgRESS SINCE 2002

European experience in ATM in the recent past has shown a critical need to maintain a sharp focus on all aspects of ATM safety. Tragic fatal accidents towards the beginning of the decade led to an overall assess-ment of safety arrangements at air navigation service provider (ANSP), State and European levels. The Strategic Safety Action Plan (SSAP), 2004-2005, and the European Safety Programme for ATM (ESP), 2006-2009, have provided a continuing and evolving basis for significant and measurable improvements in ATM safety over recent years.

The ESP in particular has seen huge progress made, and the successful implementation of many significant tasks and projects. ESP provided the basis for strategic safety improve-ments and focused principally on systemic matters, such as the imple-mentation of safety management systems, the creation of an appro-priate regulatory environment and development of an appropriate safety culture. These are essential in creating the strong foundation on which more specific improvements can success-fully stand.

MATURITY SURVEYS ATM Safety Maturity Framework Studies were developed in response to serious aircraft accidents in 2001 and 2002. They provide a structured assessment system, which measures the maturity of the implementation of ATM safety requirements within both ANSPs and national ATM safety regulatory bodies.

A target level of 70% ‘maturity’ was set for ANSPs and regulators to achieve before the end of the ESP in December 2009 (see figure 1).

In 2009, ANSPs reported steady progress, although final results show that there are still nine ANSPs below the 70% target in this area. It is a similar picture for the regulators. New methodologies for ANSPs and regulators, more fitting to the chang-ing environment, will be introduced from 2010.

ESIMS The ESARR Implementation Monito-ring and Support (ESIMS) Programme was introduced in 2005 to assess, through a formal and detailed audit process, States’ safety oversight arrange-ments and capabilities. It is operated in close formal cooperation with the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

The results to date show that States have made very positive efforts to

Figure 1

Normalised State count

Mat

urity

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Normalised State count

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ANSP average maturity for all study areas

Regulator average maturity for all study areas

ANSPs 2009

ANSPs 2008

ANSPs 2002

Reg. 2009

Reg. 2008

Reg. 2002

ATM sAfeTy TodAy

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FOCUS

improve their safety oversight processes, especially when compared with equivalent results for previous years. Audits from 2007 onwards demonstrate significant progress over previous years, and it is evident that the Single European Sky (SES) has contrib-uted very positively to these achievements, by filling the gaps in the previously exist-ing national primary aviation legislation.

MEASURINg SAFETY CULTURE IN ANSPs Advances have been made in promoting a positive safety culture and then measur-ing its effects within ANSPs. Working with colleagues across the industry and with academia, at least 14 ANSPs have under-taken safety culture surveys conducted by EUROCONTROL (some have even been measured twice).

The aim is for all 38 EUROCONTROL States to be surveyed by 2013. Enhancing the safety culture is one of the key challenges which lie ahead and it is discussed further in this article and more fully in a dedicated article on pages 42-43.

SRC ANNUAL REPORTS The Safety Regulation Commission Reports use a range of operational-based key performance indicators (KPIs) to demon-strate the level of ATM safety as measured by accident/incident reporting of specific ATM occurrences (‘lagging’ indicators), namely accidents with a direct or indirect ATM contribution.

ATM-RELATED INCIDENTS INCLUDE:n separation minima infringements

(SMI) (airborne incidents);n airspace infringements;n runway incursions (ground incidents);n level busts;n near-controlled-flights-into-terrain

(NCFITs).

The SRC data gathering and analysis functions are encompassed by the Safety Analysis Function EURO-CONTROL and associated Repository (SAFER) concept, which also includes the EUROCONTROL Voluntary ATM Incident Reporting (EVAIR) scheme.

The SRC 2009 report shows that for 2008 and the accident data made available by ICAO, there were no accidents with a direct ATM contribution. Only two non-fatal accidents were indicated as having an indirect ATM contribution. The trend in recent years shows that the abso-lute number of accidents with an ATM contribution continues to decrease.

The data also show an increase in the total number of ATM-related incidents reported of around 15% in absolute numbers, while the overall numbers of risk-bearing incidents decreased. This increase in report-ing may be seen as a positive step forward, allowing a better view of the underlying safety problems in ATM. In comparison with 2007, the results show a decrease in the risk-bearing categories serious incident (sever-ity A) and major incident (severity B) (figure 2).

Whilst the results from the various measurement schemes are encourag-ing, it is clear that there is a need for further improvements in several key risk areas. EUROCONTROL, in collabo-ration with its stakeholders and part-ners, will continue to monitor and identify trends and associated risks. There is certainly no room for compla-cency. The momentum needs to be continued and built upon as ongoing challenges now place even greater demands on safety improvement.

ATM safety Safe today, safer tomorrow

20Number of accidents Flight hours

Accidents in ECAC with an ATM contribution and traffic growth

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Accidents with director indirect ATM contributionaccidentswith direct ATM Contribution ECACtraffic levels(2005-2008)

Trend in numberof accidents

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Total ATM-related incidents(occurence per million flight hours and severity)

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Severity A400

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Figure 2

The trend in recent years shows that the absolute number of accidents with an ATM contribution continues to decrease.

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9Skyway 53 Spring 2010

SAFE TODAY, SAFER TOMORROWThe ECAC safety target “...to ensure that the numbers of ATM-induced accidents and serious, or risk-bearing, incidents do not increase and, where possible, decrease...” has served the industry well as an initial marker in establishing its safety goals.

However, it is now necessary to update European safety expectations to a more challenging level commen-surate with future ATM demands. Consequently, the European ATM Master Plan calls for a threefold and subsequently a tenfold increase in safety levels by 2030, representing gains in safety performance well above those needed simply to cope with increased traffic over that period.

It is clear that the SES and its tech-nical pillar, SESAR, will herald a para-digm shift in how ATM is conducted in the future. Managing the multi-

ple changes whilst preserving and indeed improving ATM safety levels will be a major and ongoing chal-lenge in the coming years. We must not underestimate the magnitude of this task. It will be unprecedented and like nothing we have seen or experienced before. Accordingly, new and innovative ways to manage the risks are being developed through projects such as Episode 3 and the latest developments in ATM safety assessment.

SAFETY CULTURE

Regulatory compliance alone will not achieve the scale of further improvement required. It is necessary to go even further and release the safety benefits to be derived from the develop-ment of a safety culture, and from improved leadership and motiva-tion within the industry (figure 3).

Whilst a safety culture is not a ‘magic bullet’ which will allow the tenfold increase to be achieved, it is increasingly being recognised as one of the key enablers which will make the long-term targets achievable. Along with the more widespread use of best practices, it is a critical success factor in transforming safety management systems from mere process-driv-en organisms into systems which resonate and are implemented by practitioners in front-line operations.

PARTNERShIP Partnership and collaboration with industry will be even more critical in the coming years. We must take a holistic approach covering ATM and ATM regula-tion as well as ensuring coordi-nation with outside organisa-tions. Various aspects must be coordinated. At the same time, it is essential to preserve and augment the levels of stakehold-er commitment and engagement already achieved. A fragmented input will result in ineffective outcomes which fail to meet the industry’s needs.

MeeTING TodAy’s CHALLeNGes foR A sAfeR ToMoRRoW

2008 2020

Accident rate

Threefoldreduction

Tenfoldreduction

with SMS + safety culture

with SMS

ATM Master Plan targets

Figure 3

It is clear that the SES and its technical pillar, SESAR, will herald a paradigm shift in how ATM is conducted in the future.

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SAFETY REgULATION

Safety regulation must act as the guardian of the safety of the ATM system as a whole, ensuring that, as the many operational improvement activities unfold, a firm focus on system safety is maintained resulting in order-ly and safe ATM system development.

The previous edition of Skyway explained how the SES II regulatory package identifies the need to main-tain and further improve safety levels within European airspace in the face of capacity concerns, congestion and the introduction of new technolo-gies. The extension of the activities of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to include the safety regula-tion of aerodromes and ATM/ANS will call for progressive establishment of effective interfaces with some other areas of the SES II package as well as with current EUROCONTROL safety activities.

We will need to ensure a smooth, progressive and safe transition from existing ATM safety regulatory require-ments and a well articulated interface with the SES performance scheme, the SES technical pillar, the SESAR ATM Master Plan, and the SES airspace and interoperability regulations.

MEASURINg FUTURE SAFETY PERFORMANCE A composite index of a limited set of safety KPIs with reliable, consistent and high quality data is a key to moni-toring the European ATM system’s safety performance, in compliance with EUROCONTROL’s strategic safety objectives and its contribution to avia-tion safety overall. The SES II legislative package establishes a performance scheme for measuring, inter alia,

ATM safety Safe today, safer tomorrow

future ATM safety performance. The EUROCONTROL Safety Data Reporting and Data Flow Task Force (SAFREP TF) has considerable expertise in develop-ing ATM safety key performance (‘lead-ing’ and ‘lagging’) indicators and is engaging in the process of developing the associated safety targets required by SES II. New innovations such as the Aerospace Performance Factor (APF) may provide a means of aggregating ‘lagging’ indicators at local, national, regional/Functional Airspace Block (FAB), and European level.

ESP PLUS

A new safety programme, ESP Plus, approved by the EUROCONTROL Provisional Council in December 2009, will be the prime means of tack-ling the safety challenges described previously.

Focusing its outcomes on the needs of SES and SESAR, the ESP Plus aims to facilitate safety management and safe-ty regulation support in the deploy-ments required by the European ATM Master Plan from now until 2014. It will also ensure that safety approaches are formalised and fully prepared to accommodate future ATM systems (including FAB arrangements) in a cost-effective manner. Importantly, ESP Plus is a programme designed by stakeholders for stakeholders. The strategic value of ESP Plus lies in its ability to coordinate the effects of the developments in ATM with all appro-priate stakeholders (including airspace users), thus enabling a coherent and logical implementation of safety improvements in this sector.

A more detailed article including a full breakdown of the priorities and various work streams inside ESP Plus appears in the following article. n

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010

European SafetyProgramme for ATM

ESP Plus

ESP Plus is the latest in a succes-sion of ATM programmes launched by EUROCONTROL in collaboration with ATM industry stakeholders. The aim of ESP Plus is to build on the successes of its predecessors and facilitate safety management and safety regulation support in the deployments required by IP1 of the ATM Master Plan. The action to be taken under the aegis of ESP Plus thus include a robust mechanism for ensuring the safe design and development of SESAR programmes.

ESP Plus aims to be not only the bridge between the IP1 and IP2 periods of SESAR but also the regional implementing vehicle for the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Roadmap (GASR). Moreover, links between ESP Plus and appropri-ate aspects of EASA’s European Strategic Safety Initiative (ESSI) have been ensured and the part-nerships established during ESP with the FAA and CANSO strengthened.

ESP Plus will also continue to benefit from the synchronisation between the two safety pillars Safety Management (activity of the Safety Team) and (support to) Safety Regulation (through the SRC/SRU work programme and the transition to EASA). Airspace users, airline associations and military stakeholders have also supported and contributed to the design of ESP Plus. 6

We will need all the tools we have used so far – safety management systems and the like, but they will not be enough. We need to adopt the right mentality, an enlightened common-sense approach, and go beyond a checklist of rules to be adhered to.

We have to have organisations in which safety permeates through to the bone. In other words, we need a culture of safety which incites each and every one of our colleagues to put safety right at the top of their agendas – always.

Safety should not be seen as a cost, but as an opportunity to achieve superior business performance. Good safety also drives good business outcomes.

david McMillan director General eURoCoNTRoL

Tony Licu, Head of Safety and Human Factor Activity Manager, looks at ESP Plus, the successor of the European Safety Programme (ESP), and at the key elements of safety implementation and how they are being driven.

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ACTIVITY AREAS AND PRIORITIES

In constructing the programme, stake-holders opted to place emphasis on two ESP Plus activity areas that

ensure connectivity between SMS and safety

in operations as well as performance monitoring and improvement, and less on design (thought to be more intrinsically rather then explicitly) and on regulatory regimes. This is consis-tent with the view that European ATM Master Plan targets for safety improve-ment (factor of 3 and 10) are achiev-able by going beyond regulatory compliance.

It is then necessary to add the effects of safety culture improve-ments and the adoption of best prac-tices to supplement the regulated SMS. Consequently, some of the key elements and challenges which will be taken forward for development and/or further enhancement during the lifetime of ESP Plus include:

n the role of humans at the centre of safety;

n safety culture, including just culture;

n safety monitoring improvement & automatic data gathering;

n safety assessments;n harmonisation of safety processes

in Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs).

ESP Plus therefore links together a number of key elements and safetyconcepts, within four prioritised Activity Areas:

ACTIVITy AReA 1 (PRIoRITy 3)Implement safe ATM system design and planning

The application, of established international, national and industry standards and best practices to the ATM design process including, where appropriate:

n the use of system safety defences;n the deployment of operational risk assessment and mitigation measures.

ACTIVITy AReA 2 (PRIoRITy 4)establish a correct and appropriate ATM safety environment

n Ensure the establishment of fair, resilient, comprehensive and appropriate safety regulatory structures and rules.

n The implementation of enabling measures to achieve the necessary levels of preparedness by all stakeholders.

n Recognise the vitally important role of the interfaces between stakeholder groups and their representative bodies.

ACTIVITy AReA 3 (PRIoRITy 2)ensure safe ATM operations

n The provision of support and enhancement to the implementation and oper-ation of safety management, development and application of best practice in the field of human factors.

n The introduction of an appropriate safety culture.n The implementation of operational measures to support system safety

improvement.n Harmonisation of SMS approaches in FABs.

ESP Plus European Safety Programme for ATM

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 13

ACTIVITy AReA 4 (PRIoRITy 1)Improve safety through safety measurement, assessment and learning

n Support a performance-based approach to ATM safety:- by applying comprehensive safety measurement wherever required

and practicable;- commitment to achieving safety.

n The comprehensive monitoring of system safety performance consistent with the principles laid down by the SAFREP1 Task Force.

n Increase the robustness of SAFER2.n Coordinate appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the results of safety

assessment processes are used and disseminated to maximum effect in pursuit of safety improvement.

n Work towards measuring and promoting a robust safety culture.

While being individually important, achievement of these aims can be collec-tively optimised through an overall “holistic” approach to planning safety improvement. Hence the four Activity Areas are logically connected and support each other in a continuing safety improvement cycle:

ESP Plus therefore captures key safety priorities and planning, bringing together in a single programme all major safety approaches and activities as they apply to the ATM sector.

A PERFORMANCE- bASED APPROACh TO SAFETYThe future development of ATM is now undertaken from a performance-based viewpoint, with safety aspects being an integral part of this approach. Within such an approach, compre-hensive measurement systems are essential in order to provide adequate feedback, report progress and support safety decision-making.

The EUROCONTROL ESSIP/LSSIP mechanism, the Safety Maturity Framework survey methodology and the EUROCONTROL ESIMS, ICAO USOAP and EC’s peer review systems all contribute assessments of progress made in implementing safety struc-tures and practices. These methods will be subject to continuous further development and augmentation, which will include supporting the development of key performance indi-cators in the safety field. n

In support of ESP Plus, December 2009

Bosnia and Herzegovina “We consider the content and shape of the ESP successor programme to be excel-lent, and we feel that it is the right vehicle for further implementation of safety KPIs in Europe. We therefore wish to hereby formalise the full support of BHDCA for approval of the SAFREP deliveries and the ESP+ programme”.

NAV Portugal “We are extremely satisfied with the content and shape and wish to hereby formalise the full support of NAV Portugal for approval of the SAFREP deliveries and the ESP+ programme document. We consider

the output to be appropriate and proportionate and think that it seeks to work towards the real safety key risk areas. It is an example to be followed by other EUROCONTROL activities.”NAV

NAV Portugal, E.P.E.

ATM service delivery

Safe ATM system design and planning

Correct ATM safety environment

Safe ATM operations

Measurement assessment and learning

1- EUROCONTROL Safety Data Reporting and Data Flow2- The Safety Analysis Function EUROCONTROL and Associated Repository concept

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Tzvetomir blajev and Richard Lawrence, EUROCONTROL safety experts, look at some of the ongoing safety management enhancements and risk reduc-tion measures directly facilitated by EUROCONTROL safety staff to maintain the safety of the European ATM network.

As has been stressed elsewhere in this magazine, there is an understand-able focus on the Single European Sky (SES) and SESAR and what these key developments mean for ATM safety as we work towards building a new Euro-pean ATM network.

Important as these elements are, it is also equally important that we do not take our eyes off the safety challenges

FACILITATINg PAN- EUROPEAN ATM RISk REDUCTION ACTIONS

EUROCONTROL plays a central leading role in the coordination of numerous safety action plans aimed at providing European-wide advice, best practices and solutions to identified European-level safety issues. Since 2003, EURO-CONTROL in association with partners and colleagues across the ATM and aviation industry, has conceived, de-veloped and helped implement four pan-European Action Plans aimed at improving safety through the reduc-tion of risks associated with runway incursions, level busts, air-ground communication and airspace in-fringements.

RUNWAy INCURsIoNs

The European Ac-tion Plan for the Prevention of Run-

way Incursions was the first in the se-ries. It was released in 2003 and it was later accompanied by a dedicated toolkit. The most recent results show an impressive level of support and timely implementation of the recom-mended actions. The Action Plan is currently being updated by the Air-port unit.

The here and now ATM safety

that are already part of our day-to-day ATM activities. A balance needs to be struck between the need to preserve the current ATM safety lev-els (by tackling known problems and risks) and making preparations to deal with emerging threats that may lurk around the corner.

This article presents the ongoing safe-ty management enhancements di-rectly facilitated by EUROCONTROL. Of course, these activities in themselves do not provide all of the answers. There are numerous other safety ini-

tiatives (e.g. safety culture, safety performance, safety R&D and

safety assessment) that play a part and a selection of these are covered elsewhere in this edition of Skyway.

Furthermore, safety ben-efits also accrue from the

many operational enhance-ments (e.g. airspace changes, equipment upgrades and procedure developments etc.) that do not fall direct-ly under the umbrella of the EUROCONTROL safety management organisa-tion. It is the combina-tion of all these activi-ties, allied to the skills of the frontline operators, that ultimately deliv-ers safe ATM services now and, we are con-fident, will continue

to do so in the future.

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 15

LeVeL bUsTs

The European Ac-tion Plan for the Prevention of Level Busts was released

in 2004 along with an accompany-ing level bust toolkit. Aimed mainly at pilots and controllers, this toolkit provides access to the Action Plan and provides training and awareness ma-terial as well as a set of briefing notes and references to additional resources. The toolkit has recently been updated and now includes two new short vid-eos, self-study notes and new interac-tive learning materials.

AIR-GRoUNd CoMMUNICATIoN

The European Ac-tion Plan for Air Ground Communi-

cation Safety was released in 2006. The recommended actions in the Plan address a range of issues that can contribute to dangerous situations, including unde-tected simultaneous trans-missions, radio discipline, call sign similarity/confusion and loss of communications. Following the launch of the Ac-tion Plan, EUROCONTROL issued a Toolkit called “ALLCLEAR? The Path to Clear Communications”. It

contains a variety of training options (including four videos based on real events) which can be adapted to suit individual user organisations.

Another strand of work associated with air ground communication is the Call Sign Similarity (CSS) project launched in 2008. This aims to reduce the safety risk associated with call sign similar-ity/confusion, which is often linked to serious ATM incidents. Supported by a CSS User Group, a EUROCONTROL team is preparing pan-European solu-tions to this age-old problem based around a central detection and de-confliction service and software tool managed by the CFMU. A Call Sign Management Cell (CSMC) has already been established in the CFMU and call sign similarity rules will shortly be posted on the CFMU (CSMC) NOP to assist aircraft operators with the task of call sign similarity detection and de-confliction. Trials of the proposed CSS tool are expected to start in early 2011.

AIRsPACe INfRINGeMeNTs The latest pan-European Action Plan, the European

Action Plan for Airspace Infringement Risk Reduction, was approved for im-plementation by the EUROCONTROL Provisional Council in December 2009. The Action Plan recommends a set of safety improvement measures and provides guidance on how they can best be implemented. The Plan was developed with the support of, and active contributions from, organ-isations representing the airspace us-ers, service providers, regulatory and military authorities. A promotional campaign is now underway to pro-mote the benefits of the Plan; EURO-CONTROL is willing to assist States to implement the relevant elements of

the Plan according to national/local needs.

The here and now

6

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FOCUS

EUROPEAN ACTION PLAN MONITORINg IMPLEMENTATION Monitoring the implementation of these plans by European States through the European Single Sky Implementation Pro-gramme (ESSIP) indicates that whilst good progress has been made in some (runway incursions in particular), there is still much to be done and there can be no room for complacency. Reducing the effects, as far as reasonably practicable, of today’s risks is essential to maintaining aviation safety.

The effectiveness of the implementation actions is monitored through the man-datory incident reporting data collected and analysed by the Safety Regulation Commission and Unit (SRC/SRU) and the EUROCONTROL Voluntary ATM Incident Reporting (EVAIR) scheme managed by ESP Plus programme (see pages 11 to 13) as part of SAFER (Safety Analysis Function EUROCONTROL and associated Repository)activities. Both the SRC and EVAIR publish statistical and trend data which is used to identify areas where more attention is needed to reduce risk and improve safety.

Details of all the action plans can be found on EUROCONTROL’s online safety know-ledge source, SKYbrary, atwww.skybrary.aero

PROMOTING SAFETY KNOWLEDGEAs part of the lessons learnt and proactive approach we take towards safety, it is essential that the accumu-lation of aviation safety information and knowledge generated during the course of ATM safety enhance-ment activities is made available to the wider ATM and aviation audience. EUROCONTROL has developed three main safety products to achieve this aim: SKYbrary, EUROCONTROL Safety Alerts and the ‘HindSight’ magazine.

sKybrary

SKYbrary is an electronic repository of safety data related to ATM and aviation safety in general. It is com-posed of a hyperlinked network of articles and documents similar to ‘’Wikipedia” The safety knowledge base was brought to life in 2008 with the main objective to collate, store, manage and make avail-able to the aviation stakeholders worldwide the safety knowledge acquired in various safety-related activities by the various organisa-tions. Thus SKYbrary provides ‘a sin-gle point of reference for aviation safety knowledge’.

The main SKYbrary content is based around individual, but linked, articles grouped in three main areas:

n Operational Issues Portaln Enhancing Safety Portaln Safety Regulation Portal

A robust content control process is in place to ensure quality, reliability and consistency of the stored safety data.

SKYbrary also supports many useful functions for the end-users which are built on a customer-friendly interface. ‘SKYbrary Solutions’ provides access to various tools and expert support functionalities that can assist aviation professionals in finding the correct solutions to the problems they face in everyday operations. These include:

n toolkits for European action plans – level busts, runway incursions and air-ground communications;

n safety culture in ATM toolkit;n operators’ guide to human factors

in aviation;n EUROCONTROL training zone;n safety behaviours for pilots toolkit.

SKYbrary is the fast-growing project of the partnership between EURO- CONTROL and other organisations such as ICAO, the Flight Safety Foun-dation, UK Flight Safety Committee, European Strategic Safety Initiative and the International Federation of Airworthiness.

The marketing of SKYbrary is key to its success. Three promotional ‘virals’ including ‘Land or Hold’ (20,000 plus viewings on You Tube), direct you to the SKYbrary Landing Page at www.skybrary.aero.

ATM safety The here and now

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 17

sAfeTy ALeRTs

Another key safety communication tool is EUROCONTROL’s safety alert message function. The purpose of the scheme is to draw the attention of the ATM community to emerging safety issues and to spread, as rapidly as possible, safety findings, a safety concern or a request for help.

Three types of alert are issued:

n Safety Warning Messages – red colour coded n Safety Reminder Messages – blue colour coded n Request for Support Message – brown colour coded

All safety alerts issued since 2003 are accessible athttp://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Portal:EUROCONTROL_Safety_Alerts

HINdsIGHT

HindSight is the first pan-European safety magazine specifical-ly targeted at air traf-fic controllers. Its aim is to help them share in the experiences of other controllers who have been involved in ATM-related safety occurrences. In this way, they will have an opportunity to broaden their experience of the problems that may be encountered, to consider the available solutions and so to be better prepared should they meet similar occurrences them-selves. Ten editions have now been pub-lished and the magazine has a worldwide distribution of over 4,000 copies.

All editions of HindSight are freely avai-lable via SKYbrary at http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/HindSight_Magazine.

Further details of all courses can be found in the IANS training catalogue available at:

http://www.eurocontrol.int/ians/ public/standard_page/training_ catalogue.html

PRESERVINg SAFETY TODAY FOR A SAFER TOMORROWIt is the combined effects of all of these initiatives, whether they fall directly under the EUROCONTROL safety banner or indirectly through other operational improvement programmes, that help to provide front-line practitioners with the op-timum environment in which they can deliver safe ATM services. Reduc-ing today’s risks will not only help us preserve today’s safety levels but will also help us in the quest for a safer tomorrow. n

Developments in the safety regulatory field have concentrated on improving the ability of regulatory staff to con-duct safety audits and safety oversight as demanded by SES regulations. In all, IANS now offers 8 safety regulatory courses.

SAFETY MANAgEMENT TRAININg It is essential that ATM safety manage-ment and regulatory staff are compe-tent to perform their duties. Training activities can significantly contribute to the availability of appropriately qualified, skilled and effective ATM safety management staff.

During the course of the European Safety Programme for ATM (ESP) 2006-2009, a extensive effort was made to revise and add to the portfolio of safe-ty management and safety regulatory courses delivered by the Institute of Air Navigation Service (IANS).

On the safety management side, IANS now offers 20 courses (both electronic and on-site) covering aspects of safety management ranging from operation-al areas such as ACAS, safety nets and airside safety through to more ’admin-istrative’ areas such as safety assess-ments, incident investigation, human

factors, safety tools and safety management

itself.

Training activities can significantlycontribute to the

availability of appropriately qualified,

skilled and effective ATM safety

management staff.

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13

FI

IS

GEAM

AZ

EE

UA

MD

TR

CY

FR

LV

LT

BE

NL

DE

GB

IE BY

RO

ALMK

BG

GR

CH

IT

AT HU

CS

ESPT

DK

NO SE

PL

CZ

MT

BA

MA TN

SY IQ

IR

KZ

RU

LU SK

SI

HR

4 follow up audits planned for 2010

DZ

MC

31 ESIMS audits (Nov 05 - Oct 09)

5 ESIMS audits planned for 2010

ESIMS status(on-site audits completed)

as at 15 April 2010

By April 2010, 31 audits and 2 follow-up audits had been completed, and 26 final reports published. It is encourag-ing to note that audits from 2007 onwards demonstrate significant progress compared with previous years.

Air traffic management (ATM) and communications, navigation and surveil-lance (CNS) services are going through a period of unprecedented change and development. The enhanced European legal framework and institu-tional setting, notably the second Single European Sky package, is set to support the aviation industry changing demands for the next decades.

To face the challenges for aviation in Europe and to ensure continued focus on the improvement of European ATM safety, the Safety Regulation Commission (SRC) remains essential. Marc Deboeck, Deputy Head of the Safety Regulation Unit (SRU), provides an overview of the work done by the unit. Established under the revised EUROCONTROL Convention, the SRU heavily supports the work of the SRC.

The work of the Safety Regulation Unit

Support to safety regulation

SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORINgIntroduced in its present form in 2005, the ESARR Implementation Monitor-ing and Support (ESIMS) programme provides a detailed assessment of States’ safety oversight arrangements and capabilities.

Within States subject to Community law, ESIMS examines the status of the implementation of Single European Sky (SES) legislation that creates safety oversight-related requirements, nota-bly Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1315/2007.

By April 2010, 31 audits and 2 follow-up audits had been completed, and 26 final reports published. It is encourag-ing to note that audits from 2007 on-wards demonstrate significant prog-ress compared with previous years.

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 19

FOCUSSafety data analysis

The Safety Analysis Function EUROCONTROL and Associated Repository (SAFER) system is the Agency’s principal tool in its safety data analysis work.

It consists of a European ATM Safety Data Repository, compiled through a system of compulsory and voluntary data flows. Integrated analysis is the basis for safety improvement measures and initiatives, and makes a substantial contribution to safety regulation and safety management

SAFER’s results present a high-level aggregation of safety experience in terms of ATM-related accidents and incidents, including extensive year-on-year trend information. A number of key safety issues were identified by its analysis process.

The Safety Data Reporting and Data Flow Task Force (SAFREP) paves the way forward in establishing a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for ATM safety.

In December 2009, the Provisional Council approved the SAFREP Report on European ATM Safety Perfor-mance Indicators. The SRU also cooperated closely with other stakeholders on the development of the ATM Safety Framework Maturity Survey for Regulators, now based on the ICAO methodology of eight Critical Elements of a safety oversight system.

A set of “lagging” indicators in the form of KPIs to capture a posteriori the safety performance of the ATM system were developed. These are based on the safety data reported to SRU through the ESARR 2 Annual Summary Template (AST) mechanism.

A new indicator is also being developed by SAFREP, the Aerospace Performance Factor (APF). This is to be used to aggregate separation minimum infringements, runway incursions and other types of incidents into a single overall index – the APF – which will allow determination of a distinct, overall safety trend while enabling analysis of any of its components.

SES has contributed positively to these achievements and the implementation of corrective actions progresses along with the reports received from States in which audits have been conducted.

However, the effectiveness of the pro-cesses implemented by National Su-pervisory Authorities (NSAs) is still a key factor to be improved. The availability of resources is instrumental to imple-mentation of the oversight processes.

Under the mandate given by the EUROCONTROL Provisional Council, ESIMS will continue in its present form until December 2011.

The extension of EASA’s competencies to ATM/ANS gives the Agency a crucial role to its standardisation inspections in this area for Member States integrated in the EASA system. New arrangements will have to be built on this.

However, EASA’s activities in this area are not expected to start before 2013. The post-2011 plans will therefore need to be approved in 2010 to ensure appropriate continuity, including fol-low-up audits, visits to non-EU States, and on-request audits such as military authorities1 planning to, or having ad-opted the SES scheme and the associ-ated certification of their air navigation service provider (ANSP) functions.

The EU Peer Reviews will be imple-mented at the same time. See page 21 for a comprehensive article on these.

The 2005 ICAO–EUROCONTROL Mem-orandum of Cooperation concerning safety oversight auditing ensures that close working links are maintained be-tween ICAO’s Safety Oversight Audits Branch (SOA) and the SRU.

SRU experts are qualified ICAO audi-tors and participate to the audits con-ducted by the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). From 2011, these experts will take part in Comprehensive Systems Approach audits and ICAO Coordinated Valida-tion Missions under the Continuous Monitoring Approach.”

NATIONAL SUPERVISORY AUThORITY TRAININgTraining plays a key role in improving NSA capability. The needs in this area have been clearly shown through ESIMS, USOAP and Safety Maturity assessments. States continue to face challenges in es-tablishing criteria for oversight person-

1- In 2009 the SRU was extensively involved in assisting DCMAC with the drafting of EUROCONTROL Guidelines for the Implementation of SES Legislation by the Military (SESIM).

20Number of accidents Flight hours

Accidents in the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) area withan ATM contribution and traffic growth

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

20,000,000

Accidents with a direct orindirect ATM contribution

Accidents with a direct ATM contribution

ECAC traffic levels (2005-2008)

Trend in number of accidents

15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

02005 2006 2007 2008

6

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FOCUS

nel and in defining adequate training for these personnel.

Therefore, it is essential to widen the range of formal training courses offered. The SRU has launched a formal training curriculum – the NSA Training Initiative – to provide a complete training package for NSA personnel, from ab initio level to fully trained regulator, and for which a full course catalogue at the EUROCON-TROL Institute of Air Navigation Services (IANS) is now available.

RULE DEVELOPMENT The SRU continues to provide support, not only to the SRC but also to the Euro-pean Commission (EC) and EASA1, for the further development of rules and sup-porting material.

ESARR 1 has been amended and it is now fully aligned with the relevant Regulation (EC) N°. 1315/2007. The new ESARR 1 ad-dresses the needs of all EUROCONTROL Member States, while removing the double regulation issues raised with the introduction of SES safety-related legisla-tion, also demonstrating the potential of EUROCONTROL and the SRC to provide constructive solutions to State needs.

Action has been taken to enable a mandatory altitude deviation report-ing method, through the integration of RVSM height-monitoring data into the AST2. A proposal has been launched to simplify the reporting process while preserving its operational safety bene-fit through the integration of RVSM- specific reports in the SAFER (ESARR-2 based) reporting system, which was ap-proved by the Provisional Council in De-cember 2009.

The extension of EASA’s remit into safety regulation of ATM/ANS gives it, within

the EU, competency in safety areas traditionally covered by EUROCON-TROL. It also requires the development of new Implementing Rules, associ-ated Guidance Material and Acceptable Means of Compliance by the end of 2012. The work in this challenging area has already begun and the SRU is pro-viding support at all levels.

SRC REVIEW OF EUROPEAN SAFETY DELIVERAbLESThe SRC carries out reviews to identify and address potential safety regula-tory issues related to programmes co-ordinated at European level.

These reviews are intended to assist the relevant authorities with responsi-bilities for the oversight of those pro-grammes (i.e. NSAs and progressively EASA), facilitating the application of a harmonised approach when approval and ongoing oversight takes place at a later stage.

The previously existing process has been enhanced and adapted to the current circumstances. The renewed

Support to safety regulation The work of the Safety Regulation Unit

process, based on the coordination of NSAs’ views, is expected to oper-ate during the SESAR Development Phase. This also provides a platform for the evolution of new arrange-ments with a much greater involve-ment of EASA, beyond 2013-14.

The reviews concern the pro-grammes identified in the ATM Mas-ter Plan, SESAR Joint Undertaking planning and EUROCONTROL CND planning for which the SRC/SRU and the entities managing these pro-grammes identify a need for a com-mon safety regulatory view issued by the SRC.

A trial of the review system was un-dertaken based on the proposed introduction of ADS-Broadcast (ADS-B) in non-radar airspace (NRA). The results of the review have been suc-cessfully documented in a released Position Paper for ADS-B-NRA.

OVERSIghT OF SAFETY- CRITICAL EUROCONTROL ACTIVITIESAs a result of the continued need to increase synergies and efficiencies across EUROCONTROL, the Agency Safety Regulatory Oversight (ASRO) Unit has been incorporated into the SRU since 1 January 2010. Some ac-tivities previously carried out by the ASRO have been transferred to the SRU, while EUROCONTROL safety-critical activities will be monitored by the SRU, in close coordination with the SRC. In the case of Maastricht UAC, these activities will now be sub-ject to oversight by the four States’ National Supervisory Authorities.

Further information can be found in the SRC Annual Safety Report 2009. n

The SRU continues to provide support, not

only to the SRC but also to the EC and EASA, for the further development of rules

and supporting material.

1- European Aviation Safety Agency2- Annual Summary Template

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 21

Marc Deboeck, Deputy Head of the Safety Regulation Unit,explains how the recently launched EU peer review system complements the existing crucially important safety oversight functions carried out by EUROCONTROL and ICAO, and tells us more about its implementation and the support provided by EUROCONTROL.

Under the current mandate issued by the EUROCONTROL Provisional Council, the ESARR Implementation Monitoring and Support (ESIMS) programme, consisting of audits focused on National Supervisory Authorities (NSAs), will continue in its current form until December 2011. In this respect, the audits of States’ safety oversight capabilities are recognised as best practice in this field and should therefore be continued.

The way in which the ESIMS pro-gramme is currently operated will be reviewed in order to assess whether the infor-mation obtained from the current phase could be opened up to other ap-proaches focusing more specifically on identified problem areas.”

On a wider but related basis, the EU peer review system will be implemented through this pe-riod and beyond. This initiative, link-ing as it does a wide range of NSA responsibilities, is a concept with great potential in terms of support-ing continuous safety improvement on the NSA side. The complemen-tary relationship between ESIMS and peer reviews now exists, while working links between these pro-grammes and related EASA activi-ties are being established.

EU peer reviewsSafety oversight capabilities

ENTER EU PEER REVIEWSThe peer review process will be imple-mented in 2010 to assist NSAs in im-proving the performance of their role. While it addresses all NSA arrange-ments – both safety and non-safety – the specific focus will initially be on safety oversight processes, where there are already detailed regulatory provisions in the form of Regulation (EC) No 1315/2007.

Peer reviews are expected to pro-vide new safety benefits, beyond those provided by audit schemes. Rather than duplicating existing pro-grammes, the process adopts a “teach-and-learn” approach, and is intended to facilitate continuous improvement and cooperation between NSAs. This

will be achieved by reviewing the practical application of arrangements and their performance, identifying strong points, areas for improvements and lessons learnt, thereby leading to harmonisation of processes and iden-tification and sharing of best practices.

While the process brings added value, it does not replace the audits of States/NSAs, nor can it provide assurances about the compliance of NSAs with

mandatory safety provi-sions. In the medium

term, however, the mechanism has the potential to effectively ad-

dress the continuous improvement of NSA arrangements as part of the per-formance-based approach introduced by the Single European Sky second package (SES II). In particular, the pro-cess of developing FABs will benefit from synergies and the sharing of best practices among NSAs. 6

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PEER REVIEW PROCESSThe European Commission intends to have peer reviews of all NSAs carried out by the end of 2012 in the FAB con-text. Peer reviews carried out on the basis of FAB structures (i.e. 29 States clustered in 9 FABs) bring benefits in terms of capitalising on lessons learnt and completing the activity within the 2010-2012 time-frame. They are also considered to be the most cost- efficient and effective means of achieving the objectives.

As certain FABs are composed of both EU and non-EU States, the mechanism could also be used as a tool to assist the Community and its Member States to support the extension of SES to States which are not members of the EU.

The Common Requirements set condi-tions in terms of the minimum num-ber of reviewers in a peer review team. Whilst the arrangements for the re-views are a task for the EC, they are to be conducted by national experts des-ignated by Member States. The EC has therefore formally invited the NSAs to nominate experts whose competence should collectively cover all aspects of the common requirements. To date, the pool of experts numbers 64 NSA staff.

The number of peer reviews has been evaluated in the light of the FAB implementation process, and the approach being considered is based on the following principles:

n The reviews of the NSAs involved in an FAB will be conducted si-multaneously. They will not fo-cus on the FABs, but consider the arrangements put in place, irrespective of the maturity of

the approach to deal with a FAB. For that purpose, the exist-ing arrangements of the NSAs concerned will be reviewed and compared, evaluating their po-tential to evolve towards a set of arrangements for the joint over-sight of the FAB.

n The review team visiting the NSAs of a FAB will always come from out-side that FAB.

n For those FABs which include a large number of States, the entire scope of the exercise requires two rounds of on-site visits.

The articulation of these principles into a schedule allows all the groups of NSAs associated with current FABs to be covered, with 12 on-site visits in a three-year period.

IMPLEMENTATIONThe initial scope of the peer reviews is essentially based on the results from 28 ESIMS audits and two trial reviews. It covers the main tasks performed by NSAs as per Regula-tions (EC) Nos 550/2004, 2096/2005 and 1315/2007, and focuses on NSA human resources, interoperability, oversight of changes and ongoing compliance from the perspective of certification renewal. The scope will be widened in light of new tasks and responsibilities for the NSAs under SES II.

Eu peer reviews Safety oversight capabilities

Conceptually, peer reviews provide an

opportunity to review the lessons learned

from safety audits andthe corrective action intended to address

audit findings.

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 23

Conceptually, peer reviews provide an opportunity to review the lessons learned from safety audits and the corrective action intended to address audit findings.

The FAB-by-FAB approach presents significant benefits in terms of limiting the drain on human resources and cost management. An actual peer review will be a three-day, on-site meeting. Each review team will consist of three NSA experts (external to the FAB being reviewed) and a EURO-CONTROL facilitator. The experts’ back-ground, competences and personal skills will be elements of the selection criteria. Ideally, the composition of the team will be based on mixed profiles to deal with all the aspects of the se-lected scope.

Meticulous preparation of a peer re-view is a crucial factor. During this phase, extensive use will be made of the existing material (in particular ESIMS and ICAO USOAP audit results, LSSIP data, plus SES, SRC and PRC im-plementation reports) for the purpose of preparing draft individual NSA re-ports. This report will be consolidated during the on-site visit in an FAB NSA Peer Review Report, which will be shared and disseminated between NSAs.

To capitalise on the “teach-and-learn” approach, regular “lessons learnt” workshops will be organised to re-view the priorities set, and monitor the evolution of the peer reviews and the progress of their scope. In addition to using the OneSky Team web pages, the NSA Coordination Platform will play an important role in steering the dissemi-nation of results from the peer reviews.

EUROCONTROL SUPPORT

The European Commission has estab-lished a pool of national experts des-ignated by Member States. However, neither the EC nor the NSAs have the means to put in place and operate the peer review process, which requires at least a defined structure to plan and support its implementation. Consid-ering the complexity of the task of conducting peer reviews, the Single European Sky Committee recognised the advantages of arranging support from the SRC/SRU.

Under the Framework Contract re-lating to the provision of support by EUROCONTROL, the EC has therefore requested the SRU to develop the peer review methodology, guidelines and other supporting material, to es-

tablish timetables for the conducting of peer reviews, to manage the pool of national experts, to appoint sup-port staff for the review teams, and to provide secretarial and logistical support. Bearing in mind the experience of ESIMS, SRU support is to be provided using current ESIMS resources, but changes in these initial arrangements are not ruled out.

Close coordination will be maintained with the EC in order to ensure appro-priate follow-up of the identified sup-port functions and preserve the mo-mentum of all actions initiated. The work will be conducted with suitable assistance from the EUROCONTROL Agency and external expert advice and assistance, under SRU supervi-sion. In addition, proper coordina-tion with the ESIMS and USOAP pro-grammes will be ensured to take into account the lack of resources of NSAs and avoid duplication of work.

Some of the first tangible results of the SRU’s support function were the training sessions for peer review-ers, the objectives of which were to achieve a common review mecha-nism and methodology in terms of preparation, familiarisation with guidance material, time manage-ment, conduct and output records, with additional processes when required.

Finally, January 2010 saw the effec-tive launch of the peer reviews, with the formal notification of the NSAs of the Danube (Bulgaria, Romania), NUAC (Sweden, Denmark), Baltic (Lithuania, Poland) and SW (Spain, Portugal) FABs that they would be reviewed in the period April to November 2010. n

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bACkgROUND

The EUROCONTROL Voluntary ATM Incident Reporting (EVAIR) scheme was set up in late 2006 in response to Recommendation 7 of the original Safety Reporting (SAFREP) Task Force report to the EUROCONTROL Provi-sional Council, which called for the es-tablishment of a single European ATM safety repository. Consequently, EVAIR has been designated a key part of the EUROCONTROL SAFER (Safety Analysis Function EUROCONTROL and associ-ated Repository) initiative.

Dragica Stankovic and Richard Lawrence,EUROCONTROL safety experts, look at how

EVAIR, the first voluntary ATM incident data collection scheme introduced by

EUROCONTROL in 2006, is helping to take a proactive approach to ATM safety.

Improving safety data collection

EVAIR

Aviation has predominantly had a reactive approach to ATM safety im-provements, learning mainly from accidents and serious incidents. Through the gradual introduction of the safety management system (SMS) provisions in the aviation system (such as SAFER), this approach has moved towards a more pro-active and preven-tive approach, aimed at learning from low-level incidents in order to prevent accidents and serious incidents.

However, this new approach neces-sitates the availability of data, which

in turn can only be made available if a number of prerequisites are fulfilled, notably addressing the establishment of data collection and data flow mech-anisms, and creating the appropriate legal, managerial, cultural and techni-cal framework.

ObJECTIVESIn establishing EVAIR, EUROCONTROL has two main objectives:

n to identify and fix problems within the shortest time possible;

n to promote a data-driven approach to further safety enhancement activities based on low- or medi-um-risk-bearing incidents, instead of serious-risk-bearing incidents and accidents.

EVAIR is the first voluntary ATM inci-dent data collection scheme organ-ised at pan-European level. ATM inci-dent reports are provided on a daily or monthly basis depending on the agreement with data providers. The activity covers the 44 States of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), as well as some neighbouring areas. The main ATM incident data pro-viders group is made up of 63 volun-teering airlines. These are supported

6Cont’d on page 26

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 25

The unprecedented disruption of air traffic over Europe caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull has initiated a number of activities within the EUROCONTROL Agency.

One of these is related to post-flight volcanic-ash safety data collection and analysis. The lessons learned will be shared with all stakeholders in order to ensure greater coherence, at European level, of volcanic-ash-related data collection and analysis. The aim is to further improve flight safety, efficiency and capacity within a volcanic ash environment.

Following the agreement of the States from the Functional Airspace Block Europe Central (FABEC1), as well as the UK Civil Aviation Authority, we inform you that:

1. EUROCONTROL has established a volcanic ash central safety data collection point to collect and analyse post-flight data and to share the lessons learned in order to further improve flight safety, efficiency and capacity within a volcanic ash environment.

2. Reports containing relevant information with an impacton flight safety should be forwarded to EUROCONTROL by the following means:

n E-mail: [email protected] n Fax: +32 2 729 90 82 n Phone: +32 2 729 3712 / +32 2 729 9751

Phone contacts will be available during office hours, namely from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Brussels time.

3. All reporting forms are accepted and senders arerequested to send them in the English language.

4. The reference for the information reported is volcanic-ash-associated anomalies affecting flight safety.

LATesT NeWsVolcanic ash central data collection point

1- Belgium, France,Germany, Luxembourg,the Netherlands andSwitzerland

5. Access to the volcanic safety data repository, which has been placed on EUROCONTROL OneSky Teams, will be granted to the focal points designated by State authori-ties, air navigation service providers, airline associations and the airlines themselves. In order to access the EU-ROCONTROL Extranet (OneSky online) and EVAIR Volca-nic Ash safety data repository please send an email to [email protected].

6. The safety data received will be analysed by the mul-tidisciplinary team, which will provide periodical reports.

7. It should be stressed that this form of data collection does not substitute for the national data collection re-quested by existing regulatory requirements.

With respect to the above agreement with the FABEC States, we take the opportunity to invite all those who can contrib-ute safety information related to volcanic ash to follow the above procedure and provide the relevant data.

Bo Redeborn Principal Director Cooperative Network Design (CND) EUROCONTROL

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Pro-activeapproach to

safety, actingpreventatively

and not reactively.

Extended periodbetween the

report and thecorrective measures.EVAIR PARTICIPANTS

PROVE ITCAN BE DONE

IN A FEW WEEKS

Medium- /long-termtraffic increaserequires high

efficiency.GOOD REPORTING

HELPS TIMELYIDENTIFICATIONOF PROBLEMS

Mandatory reportingis not enough.

It covers accidentsand seriousincidents.

EVAIR COVERSMAINLY

LOW-LEVELINCIDENTS

FOCUS

by a number of airlines associations (IATA, IACA, ERA, ELFAA) and most EUROCONTROL Member States’ air navigation service providers that give feedback on airline’s Air Safety Reports – ASRs. In addition, EVAIR collects and analyses data related to Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) incidents either from airlines through the manual reporting of ASRs or from the ANSPs via automat-ic data collection systems from Mode S radars.

PILLARSEVAIR focuses its efforts on 3 main pillars:

n data collection, recording and analysis;

n feedback facilitation between the data supplier (usually airlines) and ANSPs;

n monitoring and provision of cus-tomised analysis/ad hoc meetings following requests from stake-holders and periodical statistics through EVAIR Safety Bulletins.

http://www.eurocontrol.int/esp/ public/standard_page/evair.html

bENEFITSEVAIR works intensively to:

n support regional, local and EURO-CONTROL Agency safety activities;

n promote just culture through its non-punitive voluntary incident reporting policies;

n enlarge the number of ATM inci-dent data providers to EVAIR and improve its cooperation with its main stakeholders;

n develop safety data reporting and analysis tools.

EVAIR Improving safety data collection

DATA COLLECTIONThrough manual data provision (com-mercial airlines and feedback from ANSPs) from November 2006 to Janu-ary 2010, EVAIR collected more than 2,000 ASRs. In addition, 2,600 valid ACAS Resolution Advisories (RAs) have been received through automated data collection.

In the future we expect more in-cident data to be collected automatically. The focus is on RAs from Mode-S radar stations. EVAIR also collects data related to oth-er ad hoc safety concerns such as ATM ‘contingency’ events, call sign confusion occurrences and the grow-ing problem of malicious laser ‘inter-ference’ in aviation.

26

Summary of benefits which EVAIR can provide

2,600 valid Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) Resolution Advisories (RAs) have been received through automated data collection.

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 27

Pro-activeapproach to

safety, actingpreventatively

and not reactively.

Extended periodbetween the

report and thecorrective measures.EVAIR PARTICIPANTS

PROVE ITCAN BE DONE

IN A FEW WEEKS

Medium- /long-termtraffic increaserequires high

efficiency.GOOD REPORTING

HELPS TIMELYIDENTIFICATIONOF PROBLEMS

Mandatory reportingis not enough.

It covers accidentsand seriousincidents.

EVAIR COVERSMAINLY

LOW-LEVELINCIDENTS

STATISTICS:SAFETY bULLETINS AND CUSTOMISED STATISTICSEVAIR periodically produces safety bulletins with a set of agreed statis-tics which portray ATM safety trends through statistical presentations. It also provides customised analysis to numerous stakeholders on an ‘on re-quest’ basis.

One example of the types of statistical data that EVAIR produces is the spread of ATM incidents through various phas-es of flight, (i.e. standing, taxiing, take-off, approach, landing and en-route). See graph 1, on the following page, related to the cumulated summer peri-ods (April to September) 2006 – 2009.

The largest number of EVAIR-record-ed incidents occurred within the ap-proach phase; this correlates closely to the trends identified by other safety databases.

FEEDbACk FACILITATIONThe EVAIR feedback mechanism is becoming increasingly recognised

by all stakeholders as a means to help airlines and ANSPs ad-

dress safety-related issues promptly and so facilitate quick-fixes. Indeed, there is a growing understand-ing between EVAIR, ANSPs and the airlines that the

timely provision of the feedback not only helps to

implement timely solutions but is also enhancing trust

between airlines and ANSPs. Most importantly it also moti-

vates pilots and ANSPs to sub-mit more safety reports.

Data collectionAnalysisCorrective measuresFeedback preparation

Corrective measures

Monitoring process

Incident data collection

Forwarding EVAIR

Airline/ANSPATM incident reports

EVAIR Monitoringresults

ANSP/airline SMS

ANSP/airline

Feedback

If directedto ANSP/Airline

If directedtoEVAIR

Copy

Copy

Copy to

The flow of incident data and feedback

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28

FOCUS

EVAIR data shows that laser problems have been reported

at 16 locations in 10 different

European States.

Graph 1: Incident per phase of flight (summers of 2006 – 2009 )

0100200300400500600700

2009200820072006

Standing0.9%Landing

0.7%

Approach39.8%

En-route 37.8%

Take-off10.3%

Taxiing10.5%

Graph 2: Contributors to ATM incidents (summers of 2006 – 2009 )

0100200300400500600700

2009200820072006

Traffic and airspaceproblems6%

Operationalcomms 11%

ATC clearance/instructions

10%

Spoken comms 19%

Mistakes27%

Lapses9%

Traffic information 11%

Coordinationissues

7%

If we take a look at the main contribu-tors to ATM incidents reported to EVAIR for the same summer periods 2006-2009 (graph 2), we can see that four (out of eight) of them, mistakes, spoken communication, operational communication and traffic informa-tion, account for almost 70% of the overall ATM contributors. Such data provides us with an indication of which areas should be targeted when developing corrective measures.

Looking further afield, EVAIR data has confirmed the growing threat to aviation safety arising from the ma-licious use of laser pointers against aircraft and some ATC establish-ments. Our data shows that laser problems have been reported at 16 locations in 10 different European States. Unfortunately this is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg since it is known through non-reported an-ecdotal evidence and press reports

that the problem is much more widespread than indicated in EVAIR data. EVAIR’s role in relation to the laser and other issues is to indicate the problems so that all relevant stakeholders can take part in solv-ing them. It is clear, for instance, that the laser problem cannot be resolved by aviation alone; rather it requires concerted intervention involving amongst others the po-lice, judiciary, manufacturers and law makers. However, without data it is not possible to initiate the first steps.

The full inventory of EVAIR statis-tics, including those from auto-matic data gathering, can be found in EVAIR Safety Bulletin No 4 which can be downloaded from the EURO-CONTROL website athttp://www.eurocontrol.int

DATA SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY When collecting and processing data, EVAIR follows strict security and con-fidentiality arrangements. Safety data provided by airlines and ANSPs is properly safeguarded and de-identi-fied and the information is only used for the promotion and enhancement of aviation safety. n

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EUROCONTROLSkywAy MAgAzINE

READER SURVEY

EUROCONTROL

Your views and comments on our magazine are important to us as they

will help us to better meet your expectations.

The survey is enclosed and available online at

http://www.surveymk.com/s/skyway

PLEASE TAkE THE TIME TO FILL OUT THE SURVEy.

DEADLINE: 30 JUNE 2010

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30

FOCUS

bACkgROUND

The improvement of aviation safety depends to a large extent on feedback generated by a system of accident/incident data collection and analysis. The use of these findings for purposes other than accident prevention has, however, raised a number of important legal questions.

Passengers expect air traffic manage-ment services that are well regulated and provided in accordance with the highest safety standards. In a similar way to citizens, they will expect to be protected against harm and injustice by criminal legislation and an impartial judicial infrastructure.

Recent years have shown a growing concern on the part of aviation profes-sionals, including air navigation service providers, safety regulators, and inter-est groups such as IFATCA1 and IFALPA2, about the interpretation of flight safety by the general public and especially by the criminal judiciary. This concern is directly related to what is seen as an in-creasing emphasis on legal questions in aviation safety occurrences. There is a growing fear of litigation, in particu-lar criminal litigation, and sanctions against pilots and controllers in the af-termath of accidents or incidents.

In setting international rules and rec-ommendations for the improvement of safety, ICAO3 has been confronted from a relatively early stage with the

Roderick van Dam, Head of EUROCONTROL LegalService, and Ann-Frédérique Pothier, a EUROCONTROLsenior legal expert, explain the role of judicial authorities with respect to aviation safety and highlight the need to reconcile aviation safety with the administration of justice.

need to “protect” aviation safety inter-ests from those parties that want ac-cess to investigation results and safety data with the goal of what ICAO calls “apportioning blame or liability”.

This “divide” between international safety rules and national criminal law, and – to a lesser extent – pub-lic information legislation, forms the core of the difficulties encountered in the aviation safety domain. It is one of the main reasons why the concept of “just culture” has been introduced for aviation safety and air traffic management.

CONFLICTINg FUNCTIONSIn the aftermath of an accident, in particular where there are injuries and fatalities, criminal investigations will, as a rule, be held. In Europe, as in most other ICAO regions, the laws in many States explicitly provide for joint police/accident prevention investiga-tions, often establishing priority for the police.

An initial investigation by the pros-ecution after an accident should be accepted as a given, in the expectation that it will not interfere (excessively) with the accident/incident safety in-vestigations stipulated in Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, the purpose of which is not to apportion blame or liability but solely to prevent accidents and incidents.

The key is what happens next. A quali-fied criminal investigator or prosecu-tor must assess whether under the applicable criminal law the actions leading to the accident/incident war-rant further steps (investigations or indictment). A number of high-profile accidents and serious incidents, such as the mid-air collision over Überlin-gen in Germany, the runway incursion at Linate airport in Milan, Italy, the mid-air collision in São Paulo, Brazil, the Air France Concorde crash in Paris, France, and the near-miss between two Japan Airlines aircraft, did indeed result in criminal investigations and proceedings.

As stated above, these events have prompted grave concerns in the avia-tion safety domain, which need to be put into context.

Although very rare, the misuse of law enforcement processes following avia-tion accidents and incidents should be strongly condemned. However, it can-not in itself be used as an argument for exempting aviation professionals from the administration of justice. Nobody would deny the overriding need to en-sure the continuation and, where pos-sible, further enhancement of today’s impressive aviation safety record.

It takes two to tangoJust culture

1- International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations

2- International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations

3- International Civil Aviation Organization

4- European Aviation Safety Agency

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 31

Nonetheless, the invocation of the real or alleged criminalisation of avia-tion incidents or accidents as a justi-fication for immunity for controllers, pilots or other aviation professionals is not an appropriate argument. What needs to be achieved now is a bal-ance between two equally relevant goals: aviation safety and the admin-istration of justice.

JUST CULTUREThe following description of just cul-ture in the aviation domain has been developed in Europe: “A culture in which front-line operators or others are not punished for actions, omis-sions or decisions taken by them that are commensurate with their experi-

ence and training, but where gross negligence, wilful violations and de-structive acts are not tolerated.”

Efforts to introduce just culture are not new. In specialised professional areas where there is a risk of death or injury, such as the medical sector, simi-lar initiatives are ongoing. In aviation, ICAO, the European Union and EURO- CONTROL have already put legisla-tion in place and are reviewing fur-ther measures. The problem is that effective measures must reconcile the needs of both judicial authorities and aviation safety.

EUROCONTROL has therefore started a dialogue between the authorities concerned. A better understanding of the consequences that judicial pro-ceedings may have on safety must be the starting point. Criminal prosecu-tors generally have the discretionary power to decide whether or not to pursue an investigation or launch criminal proceedings; it is proposed that a clearer view of the safety con-sequences may actually assist them in exercising those powers.

In particular, the EUROCONTROL Just Culture Task Force, with participants from the European Commission, ICAO,

EASA4, IFATCA, accident investigation boards, EUROCONTROL, national prosecutors and criminal inves-

tigators, and the civil aviation au-thorities of EUROCONTROL’s Member

States and the US, has been established as a platform for such dialogue. The

Task Force is now discussing a model policy for national prosecutors, intro-ducing voluntary restrictions for the types of offence that would result in a criminal investigation after a seri-ous incident or an accident.

LET’S DANCE!In Roderick van Dam’s office, there is a copy of a well-known picture of a First World War-type aircraft that seems to have “landed” in a tree. It looks rather battered, but still more or less in one piece. It is also about 15 feet above terra firma. The text in the image reads:

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unfor-giving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”

This message should be a source of in-spiration for both safety investigators and criminal prosecutors, as the mes-sage seems to fit the roles and duties of both categories of specialist.

There is an identified need for those involved in the administration of jus-tice and aviation safety to exchange views and establish balanced process-es which must ultimately support and improve aviation safety. The concept of “just culture” is based on the support and understanding of both groups of professionals. The reconciling of avia-tion safety and the administration of justice can be summarised by that uni-versally recognised expression, it takes two to tango. n

Although very rare, the misuse of law

enforcement processes following aviation

accidents should be strongly condemned.

It takes two to tango

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32

FOCUS

Rob Peters, Civil-Military ATM Coordination Directorate, tells us how civil and military cooperation and coordination are essential in enhancing air traffic management (ATM) safety.

Civil-military partnership for safety

RATIONALEThe military community is a global ATM player. Depending on their na-tional policy, military organisations can play different roles – that of air-craft operator, of service provider for General Air Traffic (GAT) andOperational Air Traf-fic (OAT) services and/or national supervisory authori-ties. Additionally, military airspace users might have specific needs which cannot be accommodated by stan-dard GAT procedures.

With roughly 10,000 military aircraft flying in the skies above Europe (when) sharing a common airspace with civil users as a consequence of the implementation of the Flex-ible Use of Airspace concept, there is a clear need for close civil-military coordination.

Furthermore, the ambitious safety objectives set by SESAR call for even greater involvement on the part of the entire military community in the over-all ATM safety approach.

ENhANCED CIVIL- MILITARY COORDINATION One of the main purposes of civil-military cooperation is to improve the trust and confidence between the civil and military aviation communi-ties, including ATM, with a view to the harmonised implementation of new concepts.

It is also important that the whole of the European ATM network includes the military dimension when consid-ering future developments since both communities share a common airspace.

Enhancing safety through military coordination is therefore a require-ment if the ATM safety objectives are to be met now and in the future.

CURRENT SITUATION Safety activities are currently sub- divided into two separate areas: safety regulation, which aims to establish, oversee and enforce common safety levels, and safety management, which aims to provide services and products safely.

Within the EUROCONTROL Organisa-tion, safety is dealt with separately by the Safety Regulation Commission and Unit (SRC/SRU), on the one hand, supporting the safety regulation activi-ties, and by the European Safety Pro-

CONTExTMost flight activity in Europe is cur-rently carried out within a limited airspace volume and it is the respon-sibility of the ATM services to ensure the safe separation of aircraft in the air and on the ground, while main-taining the most efficient operation-al and economic conditions.

In spite of ATM’s excellent safety record, fatal accidents in 2001 and 2002 reminded us all that there is no room for complacency. And in the face of the doubling in traffic figures forecast for the 2020s, the accident rate linked to ATM must be kept to the absolute minimum possible in order to maintain public confidence in air transport.

Against this background, the Euro-pean Commission has led, with the support of EUROCONTROL, the de-velopment of a more harmonised and efficient ATM model through the launch of the Single European Sky regulations (SES I and II), and its ATM research programme, known as SESAR.

These substantial developments in European ATM cannot take place without the close involvement and strong commitment of the military community, since these changes will have an impact on their operational procedures and aircraft equipage.

© G

uido

Hae

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 33

gramme on the other, performing the safety management activities.

In order to improve civil-military co-operation, the EUROCONTROL Agency has already showed the way forward by developing its own internal and ex-

Moving forward, the emphasis will however change – with more focus being placed on developing ATM-specific safety surveys with the aim of recommending SMS improvements; coordinating activities with other avia-tion activities to facilitate the sharing of best practices, and coordinating safety improvements and support to the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Road-map and the development and de-ployment of SESAR.

In addition, military participation within EUROCONTROL’s safety work-ing arrangements is to be ensured and expanded as appropriate.

CONCLUSION Safety is an integral part of civil- military coordination and coopera-tion, and as such requires a proactive approach from EUROCONTROL in order to ensure the success of both SES and SESAR.

As a unique civil-military intergovern-mental organisation, EUROCONTROL recognises this and is fully committed to contributing to ATM safety today and in the future. n

ternal safety activities in a joint corpo-rate approach.

This approach has led to a more pro-active involvement of both EURO-CONTROL civil-military experts and stakeholders in a series of safety activi-ties, such as the air-ground communi-cation initiative, the airspace infringe-ment initiative, and the setting-up and promotion of the SKYbrary and EVAIR repository. It has also led to the inclu-sion of military representatives in the Safety Team – now encompassing the military ANSPs’ safety managers, as full members, and the members of AFFSCE (the Air Force Flight Safety Committee in Europe), as observers.

Finally, military ANSPs have benefited from SASI activities (Support to ANSPs for SMS Implementation), and took part in the ATM framework maturity survey, ensuring as a result a balanced European ATM picture.

WAY FORWARDIn the future, it will be important to involve the military community in the development of any new safety initia-tives, right from the definition phase, through to the planning, implementa-tion and audit phases.

Maintaining proactive support in the implementation of safety regulations will also be significant, together with military NSA certification and the development of new concepts such as FAB implementation and related safety cases for cross-border areas, for example.

There is also a need to ensure the ap-propriate involvement and promotion of the European Safety Programme (ESP Plus). More emphasis is being placed on a number of activities such as coordina-tion with military organisations; sup-port to safety culture assessment and improvement; SKYbrary developments; data gathering and analysis; and sup-port to safety assessment deployment and implementation.

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34

REVIEW

Volcanic ash cloud

EUROCONTROL’s response

Europe faced an unprecedented shut-down of its airspace from

Thursday 15 April 2010 until wednesday 21 April, creating

severe disruption for both travel-lers and air freight, owing to the

eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

As a result, more than 100,000 flights were cancelled, some 1.2 million trav-elers were affected daily, 313 Euro-pean airports were paralysed, losing close to €136 million (ACI Europe on 18/04) and the International Air Trans-port Association (IATA) reported losses of $1.7bn for the airlines.

During the crisis, EUROCONTROL’s Central Flow Management Unit was instrumental in coordinating with all air traffic control centres, aircraft op-erators and experts across Europe,

making sure that technical insights were shared and all relevant players informed of the evolving situation.

In the face of the crisis, a coordinated response was developed by EURO-CONTROL, together with the Euro-pean Commission, several European States, air navigation service provid-ers and technical experts, and agreed by European Transport Ministers on Monday 19 April. On the following day, Tuesday 20 April, a revised har-monised European approach allow-ing flights – but only where safety was not compromised – was put in place across the entire European air-space.

This recovery phase itself raised the major challenge of managing traffic flows, as the situation remained very fluid – both in terms of the demand for flights and the availability of air-space. EUROCONTROL’s CFMU dem-onstrated its ability to take on such a challenge and to do everything pos-

sible to ensure that aircraft take to the skies safely.

Over the coming months, a full review of what happened – together with les-sons learnt – will take place. Immedi-ately after the crisis, EUROCONTROL, the European Commission, States, air navigation service providers, airlines and experts were already pooling in-formation and making sure that the lessons learnt from the crisis were identified, shared and acted upon. n

Find out more in the volcanic ash cloudsection on our website homepage atwww.eurocontrol.int.

The CFMU acted as the focal point for exchanging information and coordinating remedial actions during the air trafficdisruptions in Europe. 6

Brian Flynn, Deputy Head Operations CFMU, briefs a TV reporter on the air traffic situation

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 35

During the crisis, EUROCONTROL’s Corporate Communi-cations Unit handled an unprecedented number of phone calls from the media, organised daily press conferences and sent out air traffic updates twice a day in order to keep the media informed of the evolving situation.

The EUROCONTROL website homepage had over 160,000 views on Sunday 18 April. On Twitter, the #ashtag co-created by Corporate Communications was one of the top five trending topics during the crisis.

From left to right: on Sunday 18 April, Diego Lopez Garrido (Spain’s Secretary of State for European Affairs), Siim Kallas, the Vice-President of the Commission, responsible for transport, and senior teams from the European Commission met EUROCONTROL managers at the Organisation’s Brussels headquarters.

On this occasion, the Commissioner and the Minister also held a joint press conference stressing the full cooperation during the crisis among all players and the unanimous support for calling an extraordinary meeting of European transport ministers on the following day with a view to safely resuming flights across Europe as soon as possible.

The CFMU operations managers became familiar faces and voices on European and international media.

From left, Joe Sultana, Deputy Director CFMU, and Brian Flynn, Deputy Head Operations CFMU, hold press briefings at EUROCONTROL Headquarters.

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36

VIEWPOINT

The European Community is a rela-tively recent player in the world of air traffic management (ATM). However, when we look back at the events over the last six years it seems like decades have passed. After the entry into force of the first package of the Single Euro-pean Sky (SES) Regulations in 2004, a number of fundamental changes have been achieved.

The first SES package laid down the basic legal framework at Community level for improving the capacity of the European ATM system by reducing fragmentation, while at the same time retaining the traditionally high safety levels in ATM.

As a result, in the last few years, several important principles have been put in place:

n The separation of supervisory au-thorities from air navigation service providers seems self-evident today, but was almost unheard of in 2004. It has guaranteed a level of inde-pendent supervision resulting in higher safety levels.

Daniel Calleja

on safety and human factors

Director Air Transport, Dg MOVE, European Commission

n The implementation of flexible use of airspace has led to the military and civilian parties’ cooperating to plan their use of our common air-space.

n A common charging scheme has provided airspace users with transparency and protection from abuse.

n A common European air traffic con-troller licence ensures a standard level of competence and facilitates mobility.

n Common requirements for certifi-cation of air navigation service pro-viders (ANSPs) ensure minimum levels of safety, contingency and service quality, thus also allowing cross-border service provision.

SECOND SES PACkAgE: A NEW bEgINNINgWhilst the first Single European Sky package was an initial necessary step, it was clearly not enough, as we are confronted with new challenges. For this reason, the second SES package was developed, and it has been adopt-ed by the EU institutions in record time.

The new legislation which came into force in November 2009 in fact intro-duces some important features. These include:

n a robust performance scheme, enabling ANSPs to deliver perfor-mance within a European frame-work;

n the creation of a network manage-ment function for certain tasks which are best guaranteed by an impartial European body;

n a firm deadline for the implementa-tion of functional airspace blocks by 2012, to bring new life to the first initiative and ultimately deliver the Single European Sky;

n reinforcing the safety dimension by extending the responsibilities of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) into the field of ATM and aerodromes, thus ensuring that ATM safety is not developed in iso-lation, but as part of a overall sys-tem approach covering all fields of aviation.

The first SES package focused very specifically on capacity, as this was the most burning issue at the time it was launched and adopted. However, expe-rience has shown that capacity cannot be developed without also improving technology, and the technological ap-proach needs to integrate all other rel-evant aspects, namely safety, the envi-ronment and airport capacity. Last, but not least, all of these aspects are just empty shells without the human factor – the people behind the system.

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37Skyway 53 Spring 2010

The Commission therefore decided that second SES package needed to be based on the following five pillars:

1. Performance-based ATM (perfor- mances cheme with binding tar-gets, performance based regula-tions, etc.).

2. Technology (SESAR).3. Safety (EASA).4. Capacity (linked to the above,

but also involving airport ca-pacity as today’s biggest bottle-neck).

5. The human factor, which brings all the above together, as the overriding element for change.

dressed in the legislation and un-derstand the reasons behind those changes, will they be prepared to work much more effectively towards a common goal.

This point had already been re-alised, with the inclusion in the first SES package of social dialogue and the extensive consultation arrange-ments incorporated in the EURO-CONTROL mandates and the Indus-try Consultation Body (ICB) in the development of new legislation. This

approach will be taken even further in the second pack-

age, with the EASA rule- making process also

bringing in a much

more transparent rule-drafting procedure.

This will ensure that the stakeholders are not

only heard in the draft-ing process but also actually

participate in it. Ensuring effective interaction between EASA and EU-ROCONTROL in the framework of the encouraging first results of EURO-CONTROL’s reform is a key priority.

Secondly, we have a key role in bringing the training and staff com-petency requirements under more scrutiny. In the first SES package, the Commission to some extent ad-dressed the training of air traffic con-trollers. However, if we compare the situation of various ATM professional groups – in particular the technical support personnel – with that of the various groups in aircraft operations and maintenance, it is clear that fur-

ther work is needed. Consequently, improving training and ongoing competency schemes will need to be a major focus in our future work. It will be necessary to properly as-sess the situation first, and then take measured action which ensures safety, without endangering propor-tionality and flexibility.

In addition to involving all the ac-tors and focusing on training and competency schemes, a third key area is reporting, and more broadly speaking the concept of a “just cul-ture”. The most important way to gain valuable information is through an open reporting culture. People should be motivated to voluntarily report any incidents or possible safety concerns, without fear of be-ing made to suffer for this openness either through judicial measures or by their employers. The concept of a “just culture” has been long dis-cussed. It remains, however, the sub-ject of various legal problems. It is our aim to tackle these problems as best as we can in the coming years in order to ensure that any future regulation is based on the correct assumptions.

A strong focus on mobility, the de-livery of enhanced training, and so-cial dialogue within a framework of a “just culture” are the key elements behind the full involvement of the human factor, in order to make the Single European Sky happen.

The Commission fully understands that the human element is the glue which holds all the sectors of avia-tion together, and without it prog-ress would not be possible. The Com-mission is ready to move forward together with all interested parties in order to meet the key challenge of delivering a Single European Sky. n

Performance-basedATM

Capacity

Human factorTechnology

(SESAR)Safety(EASA)

ThE FIFTh PILLARThe human performance aspect was not completely absent from the first SES package.

Even at that stage, it had already been realised that the various stake-holder groups needed to be brought around the same table to ensure full buy-in to the future changes. Im-proving performance and improving safety are both challenging tasks, which require us all to put a lot more effort into our daily working lives than has ever been the case.

I am sure that only if people are fully involved in the decision-making, feel that their concerns are properly ad-

EUROPEANCOMMISSION

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38

VIEWPOINT

EUROCONTROL’s support to ICAO and the UniversalSafety Oversight Audit Programme

Mohamed Elamiri, Chief Safety andSecurity Audits Branch at the

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), looks at the

long-standing cooperation between his organisation and EUROCONTROL in

the field of safety oversight and tells us how this relationship has

evolved over the years andhow it will further develop.

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39Skyway 53 Spring 2010

EUROCONTROL’s support to ICAO and the UniversalSafety Oversight Audit Programme bACkgROUND

EUROCONTROL and ICAO share a long and fruitful history of collabo-ration in striving to fulfil the vision and aims of the Chicago Conven-tion, to ensure the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation.

The most recent and perhaps one of the more substantial areas of cooperation between the two organisations centres around ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, more commonly known as the USOAP.

Underlying this unique and ex-panding collaborative effort are the fundamental tenets of a sound air transport system – transparency and sharing of information. The sus-tained exchange of expertise and experience has also contributed to strengthening the integrity of air transport in Europe and around the world.

The 50th anniversary of EURO- CONTROL is a timely opportunity to review progress achieved by the EUROCONTROL/ICAO partnership in helping Members States fulfil their responsibilities relative to the implementation of safety regula-tions and to look ahead to the chal-lenges that lie ahead as the USOAP enters a new and exciting phase of its evolution, in line with the tremendous pressures of renewed growth in traffic and the endless possibilities offered by electronic communications.

A MUTUALLY bENEFICIAL RELATIONShIPThe ICAO USOAP was first launched on 1 January 1999, pursuant to a resolu-tion of the Assembly of ICAO. The man-datory Programme superseded the voluntary safety oversight assessment programme established in 1995. Since its inception, it has been managed by the Safety Oversight Audit (SOA) Sec-tion of the Air Navigation Bureau.

The objective of the USOAP is to promote global aviation safety by regularly auditing Member States to determine their safety oversight ca-pability, assessing the effective imple-mentation of the critical elements of a safety oversight system and the status of States’ implementation of safety-relevant ICAO Standards and Recom-mended Practices (SARPs), associated procedures, guidance material and safety-related practices.

While ICAO and EUROCONTROL have been coordinating their activities since the first Agreement of Cooperation was signed between them in 1996, specific cooperation in the area of safety oversight audits has only been formalised since the parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on 17 March 2005. The purpose of this MOC is to establish mutual coop-eration in the area of air traffic man-agement safety oversight audits and related matters in a manner ensuring a better use of limited resources, to avoid a duplication of efforts while preserving the integrity of both the USOAP and EUROCONTROL’s Safety Regulatory Requirements Implemen-

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40

VIEWPOINT

tation Monitoring and Support Pro-gramme (ESIMS). Both programmes share as their primary objective the enhancement of aviation safety by evaluating the implementation of international standards, identifying deficiencies, if any, and providing recommendations for correcting them.

Under the terms of the MOC, coop-eration between ICAO and EURO-CONTROL takes two distinct forms. The first involves the sharing of data between the two organisations. Both ICAO and EUROCONTROL exchange annual audit schedules so that au-dits do not overlap and synergies are maximised. Both parties also share information regarding audit missions completed, dates of issuance of final audit reports and dates of reception of Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) from audited States. The SOA has been giv-en full access to ESIMS audit reports and, conversely, ESIMS has full access to USOAP audit reports. This informa-tion has helped both ICAO and EURO-CONTROL identify and address lessons learned from one another’s audits. The SOA has also found the informa-tion contained in ESIMS audit reports particularly useful when preparing its own USOAP audits.

Beyond the sharing of data, the MOC includes the provision by EURO- CONTROL of expert assistance to ICAO. Under the terms of the agreement, ICAO may request the participation of EUROCONTROL experts to act as ICAO audit team members under the UOSAP. These experts in air traffic management and ground aids are trained ESIMS and USOAP auditors. A number of experts have assisted the SOA in the conduct of USOAP audits since the MOC was signed and there are currently six of them on the SOA’s roster of available auditors.

EUROCONTROL’s support to ICAO and the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme

While access to a pool of knowledge-able and skilled EUROCONTROL ex-perts is obviously advantageous to ICAO, the experts who participate in USOAP audit missions also gain valu-able skills and knowledge through their experience with the USOAP. Cooperation between EUROCONTROL and ICAO has contributed greatly to-wards their mutual goal of improving the safety of civil aviation.

AN EVOLVINg RELATIONShIPThe cycle of USOAP CSA audits be-gan in 2005 and will be completed at the end of 2010. ICAO is now look-ing ahead to the implementation of a USOAP Continuous Monitoring Ap-proach (CMA), which was adopted as the way forward by the Council of ICAO during its 187th Session. This new, more proactive, approach will incorporate the analysis of safety risk factors and will begin in 2011 with the introduction of a two-year tran-sition period. The CMA will provide a long-term, cost-effective, flexible and sustainable approach, which will generate valuable data and contrib-ute to the improvement of global aviation safety.

Under the CMA, a system will be es-tablished to monitor the safety over-sight capability of Member States on an ongoing basis and with a har-

Cooperation between

EUROCONTROL and ICAO has contributed greatly towards their

mutual goal of improving the safety

of civil aviation.

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41Skyway 53 Spring 2010

monised and consistent approach towards assessing the safety level of aviation activities and evaluat-ing safety management capabilities. While CSA audits will still be con-ducted as required, the onus will be on the States to provide ICAO with the necessary information to evalu-ate their capacity for safety oversight. An interactive online framework will facilitate States’ participation in the CMA, as will a centralised database to effectively and continuously man-age information received from dif-ferent sources. Prior to the launch of the CMA in 2013, States will be required to provide ICAO with cer-tain types of information. This will involve providing updates to CAPs prepared during the CSA audit cycle and completing a State Aviation Ac-tivity Questionnaire (SAAQ). States will also be responsible for develop-ing a plan for the completion of the CMA protocol questions (PQs) within a specific time frame. Once their plan

is developed, States will then need to adhere to their established time-lines for completing the PQs using the online framework.

ICAO is ready to begin the process of developing the SAAQ and PQs that will be used during the CMA and will be based on the questionnaires developed for the CSA audit cycle, incorporating lessons learned. Dur-ing this process, collaboration with EUROCONTROL, the European Union (including EASA) and other enti-ties will be very important as there will be opportunities to establish increased commonalities between ICAO questions and those of other audit programmes. Such a network of safety information will be an in-valuable tool for the assessment of each Member State’s ability to pro-vide effective safety oversight of their civil aviation activities.

In order to accomplish the objectives of the CMA, new agreements and amendments to existing agreements for the sharing of confidential safety information will need to be made between ICAO and international entities, including EUROCONTROL. These agreements could assist in re-ducing the burden on States caused by repetitive audits or inspections designed to evaluate the level of a State’s safety oversight capability.

Ultimately, information provided by EUROCONTROL, the ICAO Regional Offices and other organisations will be essential in enabling ICAO to vali-date information provided by States in response to the PQs. This informa-tion will also enable ICAO to ensure that corrective and mitigation ac-tions are taken by States in a timely manner.

ICAO and EUROCONTROL have been cooperating with each other ef-fectively for many years. With the transition of the USOAP to a CMA, the relationship between the two organisations is moving into un-charted but exciting new territory. The transition will be difficult and complex, but with the growth of civil aviation it is essential for the USOAP also to evolve and adapt. By working with willing partners such as EURO-CONTROL, ICAO firmly believes that the successful implementation of the CMA can go a long way to ad-dressing the changing demands of the industry, while also providing adaptability for the future. The in-terdependencies that will be created under the CMA will further cement the relationship between ICAO and EUROCONTROL, ensuring that this successful partnership continues to contribute to the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation. n

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42

INDEPENDENT PLATFORM

The launch of the European Safety Programme (ESP) for ATM in Febru-ary 2006 was a major milestone in the continuing effort to improve the maturity of safety systems across the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) area. Now, with the first phase of the ESP completed in December 2009, a follow-up programme, ESP Plus, was launched in January 2010 to keep up the momentum in the run up to the Single European Sky (SES).

The ESP has seen the successful implementation of many projects, including the development of EU-ROCONTROL Safety Regulatory Re-quirements (ESARRs), one of which, ESARR 3, requires all air traffic ser-vices providers to implement safety management systems (SMSs) within their respective organisations. This has become one of the main compo-nents of the ongoing programme to improve the safety of the European ATM system.

Today, according to ESP programme manager, Tony Licu, only nine out of the 44 air navigation service providers (ANSPs) within the ECAC area have yet to reach the 70% level of SMS implementation that ESARR 3 mandated. Licu sees this level of progress as acceptable: “I am satisfied with where we are now with SMS. There is much more awareness about what SMS means and the need for it.”

Aviation journalist Julian Moxon asks Tony Licu, Head of Safety andHuman Factor Activity Manager, whether the EUROCONTROL Agency’s safety management system will be fit for the future Single European Sky?

One of the principal aims of the ESP was the creation of a ‘just culture’ in-cident reporting environment. This is an area that was always going to be challenging. However, under the ESP, open reporting cultures have been developed within ANSPs, even though the concept remains one that many service providers and legislators have found difficult to interpret within their respective national judicial systems.

ADOPTINg ThE RIghT MENTALITYThe new ESP Plus programme places the achievement of a safety culture throughout the ECAC area at the centre of its list of activities. However, EUROCONTROL Director General, David McMillan, insists that although implementing SMS throughout the

ATM community remains a vital ele-ment of the safety story, it will not solely be enough to provide adequate safety in the future SES environment. “We need to adopt the right mentality,” he said at the EUROCONTOL Safety Cul-ture Conference in Rome, in December 2008. “An enlightened common sense approach that goes beyond a checklist of rules to be adhered to. We have to have organisations where safety per-meates through to the bone and be-yond. In other words, we need a culture of safety that incites each and every one of our colleagues to put safety right at the top of their agendas – always.”

The Rome conference saw the launch of the joint EUROCONTROL/Federal Aviation Administration White Paper entitled “Safety Culture in Air Traffic Management“. This document de-

Developing a safety culture

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43Skyway 53 Spring 2010

scribes the approach that will have to be taken if safety is to be increased to the level required for the next genera-tion of ATM. It reveals that, whereas implementing SMS will achieve a

three-fold improvement in safety by 2020, the addition of a proper safety culture could increase this to a ten-fold improvement by 2030. Licu is in total agreement: “Bringing in a safety culture is essential to bridging the gap to the safety levels required for the SES. We can’t do it with regulation and compliance alone; we have to solve the cultural problems as well.”

But what, exactly, is meant by the term ‘safety culture’? The White Paper draws on a description taken from the nuclear industry, which describes it as, “The product of individual and group values, attitudes, competencies and

patterns of behaviour that determine commitment to, and the style and pro-ficiency of, an organisation’s health and safety management.”

In less formal terms, a positive safety culture is one in which staff members know their roles with respect to safety and understand that the organisation is committed to it – to the extent that it is always at the top of the agenda. Safety is discussed frequently at all levels and can be raised by any staff without fear of recrimination or even of losing face amongst their peers.

The White Paper goes on to point out that safety culture in an organisation can be positive, neutral or negative. The negative side can be seen when, for example, investigations into acci-

dents, incidents or operational errors place blame on individual employees without examining other potential problems. This does not help as Licu explains: “Getting rid of a blame cul-ture is central to establishing a proper safety culture.” He applauds the across-the-board recognition of the impor-tance of establishing a safety culture by the FAA, CANSO and ANSPs, all of whom are cooperating in the task throughout the world’s ATM network. “This has to be done by all the stake-holders,” he concedes.

One of the biggest challenges is find-ing a way to measure safety cultures.

The difficulty is that they evolve over time, can take years to change and, ac-cording to the White Paper, require a constant push in the safety direction to prevent a drift back to the ‘norm’. Complacency is an ever-present threat. History has shown that some organisations do not learn, even after catastrophic accidents.

EUROCONTROL’s drive to implement safety culture amongst ANSPs is strongly supported by Director Gener-al McMillan, who has extensive expe-rience in safety management in other organisations. “I am looking forward to attempting to de-mystify the safety culture, and jointly find ways of pro-moting and implementing a common sense approach to safety,” he told the delegates at the Rome conference.

A €1 million, four-year contract has re-cently been awarded to a consortium of EUROCONTROL, the UK’s National Air Traffic Services, Aberdeen Uni-versity and Boeing ATM to measure the safety culture present in up to 16 ANSPs by 2014. This will be followed by a rolling programme, intended to bring all ANSPs on board in time for the SES. “It is a huge challenge,” admits Licu.

In the meantime, the ESP has devel-oped a highly-interactive safety cul-ture enhancement toolbox. It is made up of four sections: inside safety cul-ture; assessing safety culture; improv-ing safety culture and case studies of ANSP experiences. Each section is broken into six subsections providing a detailed look at the various aspects of safety culture and will, says Licu, be updated as experience is gained. n

Bringing in a safety culture is essential to bridgingthe gap to the safety levels required for the SES

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44

INTERVIEW

william R. Voss5 questions to

ity and expects action. Our efforts in this area may be perceived as a demand for immunity. We need to reshape that message and make it clear that we are willing to accept accountability.

2. What is the next thing the industry should do to meet these challenges?

It is time to think outside the box about training and certification stan-dards. All segments of the industry need to identify the real skills that are required of the next-generation work-force. It is time to let go of some of the decade-old requirements. Whatever standards are decided, they must be put in place in a transparent way. It is not good enough for companies to use one set of standards when staff are in short supply and another when there is a shortage.

3. What is the state of play at the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF)?

The FSF has wrapped up its consider-able work on runway excursions, and we are now shifting our focus towards these new challenges. We have a num-ber of proposals under consideration. These involve teaming up with a va-riety of regulators and international

President and CEO, Flight Safety Foundation

1. What are the key challenges facing aviation safety nowa-days, in your opinion?

There are several important chal-lenges facing aviation safety these days.

Given the latest series of accidents, it is becoming clear that the indus-try has not done a very good job of training pilots to handle failures that occur in automation systems. There is more to this than just reinforc-ing stick-rudder skills. We have to provide training on the new failure modes.

A second emerging challenge relates to the first. Major overhauls of the air traffic control system are being car-ried out on both sides of the Atlantic. We have to be realistic about the fail-ure modes that will be encountered

and the way that these failure modes will have to be managed on the ground and in the cockpit. We also have to admit that not all of these failures can be predicted. It is vital that airlines and air navigation ser-vice providers (ANSPs) put systems in place to identify these problems early, so that we do not overlook them for years, as we have on the flight deck.

It is also important to realise that the industry does not really have robust systems to verify competencies in the air and on the ground. Many accidents today have linkages back to the hiring and training shortfalls that occurred a few years ago when staff were in short supply. It takes years for those short-cuts to turn into accidents, but that does not mean that the linkage is not a valid one.

The last challenge is the protection of safety information. We are all too familiar with the trend of criminalisa-tion of error, which has had a nega-tive effect on voluntary reporting. This trend represents a shift in pub-lic attitudes, which I see worldwide. The public demands accountabil-

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 45

william R. Voss5 questions to

organisations to push our existing information out across a wider net-work and to develop new under-standings of the emerging risks we have discussed.

4. How do you see the cooperation between the FSF and EUROCONTROL?

The cooperation between the FSF and EUROCONTROL has been very fruitful. SKYbrary has proved to be a powerful tool for the distribution of safety information. Our partner-ship on technical matters allows us to better understand questions that cut across ANSPs and the flight deck. By aligning our work on data protection and criminalisation, we can look forward to new achieve-ments that we could have not have accomplished alone.

5. What would be your personal message to our readers?

I would urge people to remember that safety is still a daily challenge, even though it is overshadowed today by other priorities such as security and the environment. Our business is an inherently risky one. Others will forget that. We cannot. n

President and CEO, Flight Safety Foundation

DATELINES

On 9-11 March 2010, EUROCONTROL took part in the prestigious ATC global International Exhibition & Conference in Amsterdam, attended by close to 5,000 industry professionals from over 95 countries.

EUROCONTROL at ATC global 2010

9-11 March 2010, Amsterdam

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, ATC global has established itself as Europe’s largest ATM/ATC event, with 206 exhibitors, a two-day high-level conference, 30 seminars and 8 half-day workshops.

See article on next page 8

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46

CONFERENCE

The two-day conference, entitled “Im-proving ATM Services during Chal-lenging Economic Times” brought together over 365 of the foremost decision-makers from the ATM global community to discuss how ATM per-formance can be enhanced at a time of considerable economic challenge – the key issue for the ATM community today.

EUROCONTROL’s Director General, David McMillan, spoke at the Opening Session on “Developing ATM services in troubled economic times” (photo 1), while Bo Redeborn, Principal Director Cooperative Network Design (CND), addressed the session on “The impli-cations of cost-cutting on ANSP perfor-mance in terms of safety, efficiency and low-cost economics” (photo 2).

ExhIbITIONThe EUROCONTROL Agency was once again one of the key exhibitors with a 180 m2 stand which showcased in-novative programmes and projects in line with the theme of the stand: “Part-nership and technology for a perfor-mance-driven air traffic management system”.

More specifically the stand displayed the latest ATM developments, technol-ogies and tools in an interactive and realistic manner, as well as new ways of linking stakeholders together, all consistent with SESAR in its efforts to introduce ATM operational improve-ments and interoperability.

The “network” exhibit provided an excellent overview of those DMEAN activities that are key elements for

providing the formal network support and coordination function that is be-ing established:

n capacity planning and network de-sign;

n airspace utilisation and network optimisation;

n airport-network integration;n a central Airspace Data Repository

to support the operational pro-cesses, including flight planning; and

n the Network Operations Portal (NOP) to provide and interact with all relevant network information.

The stand also featured the pan-Euro-pean communications network service (PENS), the joint EUROCONTROL-ANSPs led initiative to provide a common IP based network service across the European region covering voice and data communication and providing efficient support to existing services and new requirements that are emerg-ing from future ATM concepts. PENS will meet both current needs for inter-ANSP information exchange as well as those being planned in the SESAR pro-gramme for the SWIM initiative.

The deployment of controller support tools (FASTI and TCT) also featured among the exhibits. TCT-Tactical Con-troller Tool – is a separation assurance tool. It warns the tactical controller of potential conflicts within the sector by using current aircraft tracks in combi-nation with a very accurate tactical trajectory based on a refinement of the planning trajectory that reflects the aircraft’s current behaviour. TCT also indicates when a “critical missed manoeuvre” could occur – a situation in which loss of separation would oc-

DATELINES

1.

2.

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Skyway 53 Spring 2010 47

JANE’S ATC gLObAL AWARDS

On 9 March 2010, during the ATC Global event in Amsterdam, EUROCONTROL received the Jane’s ATC Award for its “Contribution to Eu-ropean ATM” with PRISMIL (pan-European Repository of Information Supporting Civil-Military Performance Measurements).

The PRISMIL service is EUROCONTROL’s tai-lored activity supporting civil and military stakeholders in the implementation of per-formance measurements at both national and pan-European level; it allows data to be collected, integrated and stored. Through the PRISMIL portal, States have the possibility to review their airspace procedures and assess their performance in terms of flexible use of airspace (FUA) operations in compliance with the Single European Sky (SES) requirements.

You can find more information on our presence at ATC Global 2010, including EUROCONTROL speakers presentations, publications, photos and videos at http://www.eurocontrol-at-atcglobal.com/.

Award winners at a glancen enabling technology: ATNS, Thales Air Systems,

Metron Aviation

n environment: Nav Canada/Sensis Corporation

n Contribution to european ATM: EUROCONTROL

n service provision: DFS

n Industry: Saab ATM/LFV

n Innovation: Stratech Aerospace

cur if aircraft failed to make a planned manoeuvre.

All the TCT functions were presented to the visitor on a screen reproducing an interactive and realistic controller working position by mean of the eDep (a light EUROCONTROL simulator) plat-form. TCT completes the FASTI pack-age of automated support tools for sector controllers.

The other exhibit on the EURO- CONTROL stand displayed Maastricht UAC’s (MUAC) technological advances. Over the years, MUAC has forged itself a reputation for strong ATM perfor-mance and innovation. On the stand, visitors discovered the latest techno-logical developments which support such performance in one of the busi-est parts of Europe. The MUAC trajec-tory-based ATC system demo featured a live recording of controller working position data, and provided insights into different tools and functions such as CPDLC, Mode S Elementary and En-hanced Surveillance, STCA, civil and military coordination features, capac-ity/demand balancing tools (such as roster, sector configuration, position planner tools).

WORkShOPS & SEMINARS

EUROCONTROL’s presence at ATC Global was unprecedented this year, with the Agency’s organisation of three workshops, respectively on “Mitigating weather”, “Civil-military coordination through civil-military performance partnership” and a workshop on “Enabling ATM net-work operations via partnerships and technological innovation”, sup-ported by HP, Oracle, SITA, and Devoteam.

The ATC Global three-day seminar pro-gramme showcased around 30 pre-sentations from key industry suppliers and experts, offering insight into the latest technology and product devel-opments affecting the air transport in-dustry. In this context, EUROCONTROL presented its Flight Plan and Adher-ence Campaign and what its Maas-tricht UAC Centre can do to support SESAR pre-operational validations. To-gether with SITA, EUROCONTROL also presented PENS – the pan-European network service.

Joe Sultana, Deputy Director CFMU, speaking at the seminar on the Flight Plan and Adherence Campaign

The EUROCONTROL PRISMIL Team receives the Jane’s ATC Award for its contribution to European ATM

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48

DATELINES

There has been widespread publicity di-rected at pilots, dispatchers, controllers, their representative bodies, airlines and ANSPs in order to heighten awareness of the impact of aircraft flying at a different flight level from that filed and anticipat-ed by the network, ACCs and individual sectors.

As a result of the campaign, some ANSPs (Maastricht UAC and Rhein UAC) have car-ried out trials in order to ascertain the scale of the problem and in particular that of flight-level adherence. For trial purposes, the participating controllers were request-ed not to ask for a “requested flight level” on initial contact with climbing traffic. If the pilot requested a different flight level to that filed, it was invariably provided whenever possible. Significantly, all con-trollers were briefed on the background adherence issues that led to the trials.

The results of the trials carried out at the Karlsruhe and Maastricht air traffic con-

The Flight Plan and ATFCM Adherence Campaign has made considerable progress over the last 12 months and has started to bear fruit as initial local trials led by air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have been sufficiently convincing to allow the planning ofadherence days.

Flight Plan and ATFCM Adherence Campaign for the safe and optimum flow of air traffic

Flight Level Adherence Days

trol centres were presented to the Adherence Day Task Force on 4 March 2010 together with an explanation of the ability of the Agency to mea-sure flight deviations. The Task Force includes representatives from the Eu-ropean Cockpit Association (ECA), the International Federation of Air Traf-fic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA), Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), the European Federation of Airline Dispatchers Associations (EUFALDA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and ANSPs.

The results of the trials, using only changes to the modus operandi, were sufficiently convincing for the Task Force members to agree to propose two Flight Level Adherence Days. Ten-tatively scheduled for 29-30 September 2010 across Europe, the event will con-sist in air traffic control traffic climbing to the requested flight level as filed in the flight plan. These will be the first of a number of adherence days which will progressively address a combination of flight level, route (lateral deviation) and timing (EOBT and CTOT). The Flight Level Adherence Days will provide a simple but effective measure designed to improve flight level adher-

ence. EUROCONTROL has invited the ANSPs to examine further the opera-tional issues and service values within air traffic control contributing to the phenomenon of overloads and its impact. The ANSPs are being encour-aged to perform their own individual trials and to provide the results to the Agency in order to assist the adherence campaign and preparations for the Day.

Once agreed by the Operations Con-sultation Group (OCG), the further preparation of the Adherence Days will require direct coordination between all partners, and in particular area control centres (ACCs), to ensure their partici-pation, agree the approach and proce-dures, and to provide feedback on the preparation and results. The proposed Flight Level Adherence Days will pro-vide a network trial and a validation of the results observed to date.

The adherence campaign is in keeping with the new EUROCONTROL current-ly taking shape, more particularly the network management function, and is typically an activity contributing to network performance objectives.

Keep up to date on:www.eurocontrol.int/adherence n

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49Skyway 53 Spring 2010

REVIEW

EUROCONTROLsupports ATM training

Since 2004, EUROCONTROL has made Training zone, its digital learning envi-ronment, available to its Member States in support of their air traffic control and management training. As a result, in 2009, more than 100 courses were delivered to 25 different training organisations across Europe.

After Padova, Milano-Malpensa is the second operational unit from the Italian air navigation provider ENAV to make use of this facility. Mr Matteo Ergotti, ATC Training Manager at Malpensa, shares his overall impressions.

Can you please tell us what was the primary objective of your training?The main objective was to carry out refresher training on unusual circum-stances/emergencies and aircraft performance, since both subjects are included in my Unit Competence Scheme.

How was the training carried out?The training was carried out in a class-room. Each day a maximum of five air traffic controllers could attend, each one with their own PC. A total of 50 controllers followed the training. We adopted a brainstorming approach – holding open discussions on the two issues (unusual circumstances and aircraft performance) and progressing together step by step.

How did EUROCONTROL assist you in delivering this training?The EUROCONTROL Institute of Air Navigation Services provided excel-lent support within a short time –

explaining all the functionalities of the tool and how to make it work, as well as giving us advice on how to set up the classroom. From the very first day, I was able to monitor the progress of all my air traffic controllers.

How did the controllers find this new experience?It was their first experience with the EUROCONTROL e-learning facility. Air traffic controllers’ feedback was gener-ally positive. It was pointed out, how-ever, that audio support would help to ensure the right level of attention and that it would be better to divide one of the modules into several smaller modules.

Are you planning to use the EUROCONTROL Training Zone again in the future?

Why not? I would be interested in organising a course on air traffic flow management as tower air traffic con-trollers should increase their aware-ness of flow management-related

The eURoCoNTRoL Training Zone is a digital learning envi-ronment, consisting of a single portal giving learners, instruc-tors and course managers access to information about training at EUROCONTROL.

It allows its members to interact with each other, study training material and organise training. Most importantly, any train-ing organisation within the EU-ROCONTROL Member States can use Training Zone to man-age the delivery of their own or EUROCONTROL’s e-learning modules.

issues. In any case, I now know what to expect from the Train-ing Zone team: kind support and attention to my needs. n

For more information, please check: http://trainingzone.eurocontrol.intor send an email [email protected]

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VISITS

Keen to offer its partners and the aviation community at large the opportunity to learn more about what it is and what it does, EUROCONTROL welcomes visitors, both individual and in organised groups, to its premises. These are just a few recent visits:

5 David Forsyth (right) and David Burden (left), respec-tively Chairman of Airservices Australia and Member of the Board of Directors of Airservices Australia, were received by the Director General on 11 March.

5 A delegation from the Japanese Civil Aviation bureauvisited EUROCONTROL Headquarters on 18 February. Presentations on the role of EUROCONTROL, the route charges system and the Agency’s business planning featured in the programme.

On 22 January, the Director General received a delega-tion headed by Mr Karbelashvili, the Georgian deputy Minister for economic development. The delegation was briefed on the EUROCONTROL accession process. 6

On 8 April, Mr Kapis, director of the Civil Aviation Au-thority of Poland (right), accompanied by Ms Agnieszka olfans, an eU issues expert, visited EUROCONTROL and met the Director General.

On 19 March, Mr Gilles Tonelli (left), President of the eURo-CoNTRoL Permanent Commission and Minister for Public Works, the environment and Urban development of the Prin-cipality of Monaco, and Mr Henri bayol, Vice-President of the Permanent Commission and Head of the Civil Aviation Author-ity of the Principality of Monaco, were received at Headquarters. They were briefed on the Organisation’s institutional structure, the role of the Permanent Commission, the role of EUROCONTROL and the key challenges ahead and the ongoing reform of the Agency. The visit concluded with a tour of the CFMU operations room. 6

On the same day, representatives from the Japanese Civil Avia-tion bureau and the Us department of defense were received at Headquarters. The main focus of their visit was on ATM civil-military cooperation.

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CALENDAR

Forthcoming eventsat EUROCONTROL Brussels Headquarters6 May 2010Provisional Council (PC 33)EUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

18-20 May 2010MET Support to ATM WorkshopEUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

1 June 2010SES Mandate Workshop – Surveillance Performance and Interoperability Requirements and Aircraft IdentityEUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

1-2 June 2010LSSIP (Local Single Sky Implementation) WorkshopEUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

3 June 2010SES Mandate Workshop – Stakeholder Consultation on draft Implementing Role on the Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA)EUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

7-8 June 2010Aeronautical Data Quality Roll-out WorkshopEUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

8-9 september 2010Altimetry System Error – The Invisible RiskEUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

15-16 september 2010PENS Symposium & Exhibition

1-2 december 2010Provisional Council (PC 34)EUROCONTROL Brussels, Belgium

More on: www.eurocontrol.int

Global AIM Congress 2010 Beijing, China

22-24 June 2010

The fifth Global AIM Congress entitled “Building the Future” will be held at the Beijing International Convention Center (BICC), through the kind sponsorship of the Air Traffic Management Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Skyway 53 Spring 2010

PENS Symposium & Exhibition15-16 september 2010

The PeNs symposium & exhibition will:

n provide general information on the Pan-European Network Service (PENS) andhow to join it;

n present the EUROPEAN view and strategy on communication (FCI / SESAR); n present and discuss the next challenges: interface with airport/ airlines,

interface with other ICAO regions; n give the opportunity to stakeholders and the industry to provide feedback; n discuss the roll-out of/problems with the current and future applications on PENS.

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Page 52: Skyway - Eurocontrol · Skyway 53 Spring 2010 5 EDITORIAL Dear Readers, The focus of this edition of Skyway is on safety – the number one priority in aviation. We will be looking

Sky1960-2010Did you know that this year EUROCONTROL is celebrating its 50th anniversary?

It was on 13 December 1960 that the Organisation’s original Convention was signed.

To mark this occasion, a special anniversary yearbook “EUROCONTROL at 50: Reaching for the Single European Sky” has been produced.

The yearbook is available on our website homepage at www.eurocontrol.int


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